William Rathbone X Annual Award & Lecture

We will be holding the second William Rathbone X Annual Lecture and Award Presentation at the London South Bank University on Friday 10 May 2024 .

Lecture

The Lecture will be given by Michelle Cox, Race Equality Consultant. Michelle has 30 years’ experience in the NHS, and 26 years as a registered nurse. Michelle has a particular interest in health inequalities. As a black nurse she has shone a light on issues affecting not just black communities and ethnic minorities, in her hometown of Liverpool, but has led on a number of national programs to elevate understandings around Equality Diversity and Inclusion ensuring that challenges are addressed, and learning embedded throughout NHS organisations.

Michelle is more than passionate about challenging discrimination and injustices and has often used her platform as a nurse. Until recently she was the Chair of Steve Biko Housing Association ensuring that the elderly and vulnerable in the local community have access to quality affordable homes free from race discrimination. It came as no surprise to hear of Michelle’s landmark win at an Employment Tribunal, February 2023, taking on her employer for race discrimination, harassment, victimisation, and detriments for whistleblowing. A fight she describes as a win for all global majority staff in the NHS experiencing discrimination.

Michelle’s lecture is entitled, ‘Healing the Scars: Community Nursing in Liverpool amidst the Legacy of Slavery and Discrimination’.

Award

The QNI recognises the necessity of excellent leadership at a strategic level in the delivery of nursing care in the community. For this reason, last year we created The William Rathbone X Annual Award for Excellence in the Executive Nurse Leadership of Community Nursing Services. The Award is named in memory of an outstanding former member of the QNI’s Council, William Rathbone X, and has been generously funded by his family.

The Award gives national recognition of the impact of strategic nursing leadership in the delivery of excellent community nursing services. Further information about the award can be found here.

The nominees for 2024 are:

• Carolyn Bell, Prospect Hospice, Swindon
• Helen Dobson, Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust
• Paula Hull, Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust
• Kim O’Keeffe, Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
• Suzanne Mumford, Care UK
• Paula Simpson, Wirral Community Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust
• Dawn Slater, Livewell Southwest CIC Social Enterprise, Plymouth

Please note – this event is by invitation only.