Yvonne commenced nurse training at Central Middlesex Hospital in 1977, qualified as a general nurse in 1980 and then went on to qualify in mental health nursing and health visiting. In 1986 she secured her first NHS management job and has since held a number of operational and strategic leadership posts. In 2004, she was appointed at the Department of Health as Private Secretary to the Chief Executive of the NHS, Sir Nigel Crisp. Yvonne most recently acted as the Director of WRES Implementation in NHS England, and deputy president of the RCN.
Our NHS is one of the biggest and in England, one of the best-loved organisations in the country. The English NHS has 1.4 million members of staff, 20% of whom are from non-white backgrounds and many of these people work on the front line, as Doctors, nurses as well as administrative and hospitality staff, indeed it has been acknowledged that without staff from overseas the NHS would all but grind to a halt.
The importance of ensuring that all staff, regardless of background are valued and appreciated and encouraged to be the best they can be, should not be underestimated, because the evidence is that a valued and motivated workforce delivers high quality patient care, a safer service and leaves patients more satisfied. This talk will focus on the challenges faced by the NHS in making sure that it adheres to the public sector equality duty of ensuing we promote equality and are seen as a beacon of best practice in this area.
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