Looking back: our shared progress on EDI

As we fast approach the festive season, I hope many of you are able to take a well-deserved break and have some time with your loved ones to rest and recuperate. And for those who are working, thank you for your commitment to nursing and your patients over the period.   

It’s also a time of year for reflection and on a personal level, I have been looking back on my time as President of the RCN. A few weeks ago we had the results of the RCN Presidential and Council elections where it was announced that Bejoy Sebastian will succeed me as RCN President.   

I wish Bejoy many congratulations in his new appointment – I hope he enjoys his time as RCN President as much as I have done. And I want to say thank you to all of you for your support during my time as RCN President - I will continue to be an active member of the RCN nationally and in London as my region, and continue to support the amazing work we do for nursing and you, our members. 

When thinking about my time as RCN President, I’m pleased that there has been a particular focus on the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion agenda. It’s an area that is particularly close to my heart - my parents were immigrants, hailing from the beautiful island of Mauritius. Like many immigrant families, they came to the UK seeking opportunities and brought with them not only their dreams and aspirations but also a rich cultural heritage.  

This personal history has profoundly shaped my understanding of the value immigrants bring to our society, particularly our health care system. Immigrant nurses bring a diversity of thought and perspective that enriches our health care services, and their unique skills and experiences are invaluable in providing high-quality, patient-centred care. 

When I became RCN President, I knew we were an organisation that had within us the capacity to change.  And at last year’s RCN Congress a resolution was overwhelmingly passed to make the RCN an anti-racist organisation. In that debate, I told members I had been waiting 32 years to have this conversation in an organisation that would accept it.   

So the launch of our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion strategy earlier this year was undoubtedly a highlight of my time here as President. It also gives me much hope for the future of the RCN, that we are living and breathing the ideas of the Strategy, with our newly elected Presidential and Council representatives. For me, the RCN will always be stronger if it more closely reflects the diversity of the nursing profession.  

A couple of months ago, I received the great honour of being named as one of the 50 most influential Black, Asian, and minority ethnic leaders in health. I even received a letter from the Mayor of London congratulating me – something I am truly grateful for. I do hope that this recognition helps to inspire the next generation of nursing professionals – particularly those from a Black, Asian or minority ethnic background.  

So it is with great pride that I leave my role as RCN President at the end of the month – thank you again for all your support during my time in post. I wish you all a restful and restorative festive period, and hope it leaves you energised and ready for the challenges and opportunities that 2025 will bring.