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70 new London nurses to join Florence Nightingale Foundation

NHS England and NHS Improvement will join forces with the Florence Nightingale Foundation to celebrate NHS70, and ensure the very best talents in nursing and midwifery are given the chance to shape the future of the service.

As part of the NHS 70th birthday celebrations, NHS England has committed funding for 70 London nurses to become Florence Nightingale Foundation nurses and midwives. The Florence Nightingale Foundation, a charity recognised for providing bespoke scholarships to the best in nursing and midwifery across the UK, aims to inspire and nurture the 70 chosen professionals through their careers.

Working in partnership with health and care services, the foundation supports professionals, giving them all the tools to make a positive impact on patient care, policy and practice in their chosen field.

Professor Jane Cummings, Regional Director (London) NHS England and also Chief Nursing Officer England said: “We are hugely proud to be able to provide this opportunity, and take the chance it offers to develop London nursing and midwifery staff who will be the future leaders of our health and care services.”

“Since 1929, The Florence Nightingale Foundation has been committed to advancing the study of nursing and midwifery practice, promoting excellence and preparing nurses and midwives to follow in the footsteps of its namesake, to provide the best possible care to patients across the UK,” she said.

London Regional Chief Nurse, Professor Oliver Shanley, who launched the new programme on 3 July at an event to recognise the contribution of nurses and midwives across the last 70 years said,

“The foundation’s aims and values are aligned with our own priorities across NHS Improvement and NHS England for nursing, Midwifery and care staff, and this partnership is a wonderful opportunity to put 70 nurses and midwives in a path to excellence that will make our health and care services stronger.”

Executive Director for Nursing for NHS Improvement, Ruth May  said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to be to support this opportunity and work with NHS England and the Florence Nightingale Foundation. I look forward to us all supporting the successful London applicants.”

The 70 candidates will apply through a simple process and chosen by a panel including Florence Nightingale Foundation, NHS Improvement and NHS England senior nurses with the first cohort of nurses beginning their work with the foundation in November 2018.

Interested nurses and midwives can apply for the programme via the Florence Nightingale Foundation application process. This will be advertised on www.florence-nightingale-foundation.org.uk in July 2018.