02/10/2025
Today marks the start of - a time to reflect on and celebrate the impact and contributions of Black people across society.
This Black History Month, we’re proud to shine a light on the outstanding contributions of Black nurses, midwives and nursing associates, whose leadership, skills and compassion have helped shape the professions we regulate.
We begin with the story of Daphne Steele (1927–2004), who in 1964 became the first Black Matron in the NHS.
Originally from Guyana, Daphne came to the UK in 1951, just three years after the NHS was founded. She trained in South London and went on to work in both the UK and the United States before returning to posts in the NHS.
At 36, she became Matron of St Winifred’s Nursing Home in Ilkley, West Yorkshire, a moment that was recognised and celebrated across the country and beyond. She received more than 350 letters of congratulations from around the world and took the time to reply personally to each one that included a return address.
Soon after beginning her new role, Daphne delivered her first baby on the ward in October 1964. Over the years she oversaw hundreds of births, personally delivering many herself, while running the 14-bed maternity home with professionalism and care.
When St Winifred’s closed in the early 1970s, Daphne retrained as a health visitor in Leeds and became a familiar and trusted presence to countless families in the community.
Her achievements were formally recognised later in life. In 2001, she received an award from the Guyanese High Commission, which she described as “smashing.” The following year she carried the Queen’s Jubilee baton, representing her community in Shipley.
Since her passing, she has been commemorated with plaques, lectures, an annual Daphne Steele Day at St George’s Hospital in Tooting, and in 2024 the University of Huddersfield opened the Daphne Steele Building, part of its new National Health Innovation Campus.
🌟 Daphne Steele’s pioneering appointment was a landmark moment in NHS history. Her story is a reminder of the vital contributions of the Windrush Generation, and her legacy lives on in the diversity and strength of today’s nursing and midwifery professions.
