UHNM staff celebrate King’s birthday in London
University Hospitals of North Midlands nurses joined hundreds of international NHS employees to celebrate the King’s Birthday in London.
Stella Underwood, International Nurse Lead, Hashim Asad, Staff Nurse on the Acute Medical Unit (AMU), Gabby Till and Rebecca Irons, International Recruitment Midwives were nominated to attend Buckingham Palace with the King for an evening of celebration at Royal Stoke were nominated by colleagues at UHNM to attend the birthday reception as part of the NHS 75 celebrations.
Hashim completed his nursing degree in India and joined UHNM in August 2022 as an adaptation nurse completing his OSCE training with the support of the practice learning team to become a registered nurse in the UK.
Stella Underwood has led the international nurse recruitment programme since its launch in 2021 recruiting more than 300 international nurses with the aim to have recruited 352 by the end of the year. The nurses support a wide range of wards and departments at both Royal Stoke University Hospital and County Hospital in Stafford.
The reception which was held at Buckingham Palace was a celebration event to recognise the contribution of international nurses and midwives working in the United Kingdom and the King’s 75th Birthday.
Nurses and midwives attended from different cultures and backgrounds which contribute to the UK’s Health and Social Care Sector.
The reception closed with a birthday song for the King performed by the NHS Choir.
Stella Underwood said: “It was fantastic to attend the King’s Birthday reception at Buckingham Palace to celebrate the contribution of international nurses and midwives. We got to meet so many colleagues from across the health and public sector which was brilliant. We also spoke with Ruth May and Amanda Pritchard and it was a real treat to listen to an NHS choir after the reception. It was a truly incredible afternoon.”