Giving thanks to our overseas colleagues on 75th anniversary of Windrush Day
In this 75th year of the NHS, we join hospitals and organisations across the country to mark the 75th anniversary of Windrush Day on 22 June. This date in 1948 sparked an overseas recruitment drive that helped the NHS evolve into a national treasure.
Seventy-five years ago, the HMT Empire Windrush boat arrived at Tilbury Docks in Essex carrying over 1,000 passengers from the West Indies, who had been invited to come and find work, as part of Britain’s rule of the Caribbean countries.
Its arrival marked the first wave of post-war immigration, and coincided with the launch of the UK’s new National Health Service, just two weeks later. Many of its passengers quickly found jobs in the NHS, which at the time had over 50,000 nursing vacancies to fill, and warmly welcomed their skills and support.
Windrush Day triggered an overseas recruitment drive that would see the NHS grow from strength to strength, offering free healthcare for all, and becoming a service that was envied the world over. The NHS’s creation inspired national pride and has long been considered Britain’s greatest achievement.
An estimated 500,000 people who came from the West Indies between 1948 and 1971, known as ‘The Windrush Generation’, have had a dramatic and lasting impact on the NHS, alongside those who came to the UK from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka during the same period.
Their contributions cannot be understated and 75 years on, our overseas colleagues continue to play a fundamental role. Today’s NHS is supported by over 200 nationalities, with ethnic minorities making up almost a quarter of the workforce and 42% of medical staff, making it one of the most diverse workplaces in the UK.
At Royal Surrey, we are proud to employ 1,705 staff of black and ethnic minority origin, who represent over a third of our workforce, and our Practice Development and International Recruitment teams work hard to attract, train and develop the careers of overseas staff in several cohorts each year.
We also support our black, Asian, and ethnic minority communities through the BAME Network, one of three Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion networks in the Trust, which brings staff together with a shared commitment to ensuring a culture of inclusivity and appreciation for our overseas colleagues.