This Windrush Day, NHS leaders in the Black Country have reflected on the contribution of staff, past and present, who are from the Windrush generation.
The ship ‘Empire Windrush’ arrived in the UK from Jamaica in June 1948, bringing the first wave of Caribbean migrants who had come to seek work and help rebuild post-war Britain. Its passengers, and others who arrived to the UK from Caribbean countries between 1948 and 1971, have become known as the Windrush generation.
The Windrush generation had a significant impact on the establishment of the NHS, which was created just a few weeks later almost 75 years ago, with many of the passengers on Windrush, as well as their descendants, helping to create the NHS.
Windrush Day, which takes place on Thursday 22 June, celebrates the contribution and achievements of the Windrush generation and their descendants.
Beverly Morris, Head of Continuing Healthcare in Sandwell for the Black Country Integrated Care Board (ICB), came to the UK from Jamacia in 1966 when she was just five years’ old. Fast forward to today, she has been working in the NHS for more than 44 years and is sharing her story.
She said: “My dad came to the UK in 1961 and five years later my mum and I came over to join him. I was only five and remember thinking ‘oh my god it’s really cold, what’s going on’. Soon after we arrived, I celebrated my sixth birthday and got a batman mobile and had absolutely no idea what it was.
“My journey with the NHS began in 1979 when I did auxiliary nursing. That’s when I started to think about what I wanted to do. I decided that I wanted a career in nursing and in 1980 did my nurse training at City Hospital. I finished in 1983 and moved on to Erdington to work with the elderly but felt like I needed to do a little bit more. I then went to Sandwell Hospital where I worked for several years, working in different areas around the hospital such as midwifery, neurology, and elderly care. I am now head of continuing healthcare in Sandwell and chair of the inclusion network for the ICB. I’m also a tutor for a mental health module at Birmingham City University and have been awarded a British Empire Medal for services to care homes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I absolutely love working with people, that’s my passion, but my mum’s drive is definitely what drove me to where I am today. She worked in a factory but decided that she’d seen an opportunity in nursing in the NHS. She did mental health nursing in All Saints Hospital in Winson Green, and she never stopped there. She continued to do what she wanted to do, to make life better for me and the family. She went on to do midwifery and she was a really successful midwife in Sandwell. She then retired at the age of 82.
“I’m so proud of where I’ve got to. It’s been hard work and I’ve instilled that in my children about being proactive. I tell them that the barriers are only there for a time, people are only there for a certain amount of time in your life and so you’ve got to make sure the positive outweighs the negative. My parents came here with the determination to do better, and this is something that has stayed with me. I like to think of myself as an inspiration to future generations, influencing and changing the existing culture and empowering others to do so.”
Tapiwa Mtemachani, Director of Transformation and Partnership at NHS Black Country ICB, said: “The NHS has continued to depend on the talents of its diverse workforce from its inception in 1948, the same year Empire Windrush passengers disembarked at the Port of Tilbury 75 years ago.
“Windrush Day gives us the opportunity to pay tribute to the immense contribution that the Windrush Generation and their descendants have made, and continue to make, to both the NHS and wider society.
“Greater diversity leads directly to better experiences for all staff and patients and this influence has certainly been felt in the Black Country, where we have a richly diverse workforce that represents the different communities we serve.”
Mark Axcell, Chief Executive Officer for the Black Country ICB, said: “As the NHS and social care approaches 75 years, we must say thank you to the contribution of the Windrush generation in the Black Country.
“The arrival of the Empire Windrush marked a pivotal moment in Britain’s history and has come to represent the rich diversity of this nation. Much like Bev and her family, the Windrush generation has played a vital role across the NHS, from doctors and nurses to support staff and volunteers. Their tireless dedication and hard work has undoubtedly helped shape the NHS into the invaluable institution it is today.”
