Windrush Day celebrates a generation whose courage, sacrifice and service helped shape modern Britain. Answering Britain’s call after the Second World War, nurses, midwives and healthcare workers from the Caribbean played a vital role in strengthening the NHS, established in 1948 just over 75 years ago, and caring for communities across the country. Their professionalism, compassion and resilience left a legacy that continues to inspire today’s health and care workforce and so have those who have come to the UK from all over the world 鈥� they are an essential part of our rich and diverse health and care workforce.
On this year鈥檚 Windrush Day, hear from Revd Joyce Fletcher on what the Windrush legacy means to her and to our health and care system.
As Windrush Day approaches, I reflect not only as a nurse and healthcare leader, but as the daughter of the Windrush generation. For me, Windrush is more than a historical moment. It is a personal story of family, sacrifice, resilience and service. It is the story of people who answered Britain's call after the Second World War and helped rebuild the nation.
Reverend Joyce Fletcher RN BSc MSc, National Executive Director of Women and Family, Church of God of Prophecy, and former NHS Chief Nurse
Among them were nurses, midwives and healthcare workers who became an integral part of the NHS. They cared for patients in hospitals, communities and care homes, often while navigating unfamiliar cultures and facing barriers that tested their sense of belonging. Many encountered racism and discrimination, yet remained committed to the profession and to the people they served. They cared for others while not always feeling fully seen themselves.
Their contribution helped shape modern nursing and the health service we know today, although their stories have not always received the recognition they deserve.
Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of working alongside nurses and healthcare professionals from across the world. Their journeys are different, but many share a common experience: leaving home, adapting to a new country and dedicating themselves to caring for others.
In many respects, the Windrush story, whilst distinct, continues to resonate in today’s internationally educated and internationally recruited workforce. The countries may have changed, but the courage and commitment required to build a life and career in a new environment remain the same. The NHS has always been strengthened by people from many nations, cultures and backgrounds working together in service of others.
Windrush Day is therefore not only about remembering the past. It is about recognising a living legacy that continues to strengthen health and social care across the United Kingdom.
It also challenges us to ask how we create workplaces where everyone feels they belong, where talent is recognised regardless of background, and where inclusive leadership enables people to flourish.
As we celebrate the Windrush legacy, we are also reminded of our shared responsibility to challenge racism, discrimination and prejudice in all their forms, and to create health and care workplaces where everyone is treated with dignity, respect and fairness.
As we mark Windrush Day 2026, we honour those who came before us and celebrate those who continue that legacy today: nurses, midwives and healthcare workers from around the world whose expertise, compassion and leadership help shape the future of care.
Windrush is not only a story of arrival. It is a story of belonging, contribution and leadership. Most importantly, it is a legacy that continues to challenge us to build a health and care system where every person is valued, every voice is heard and every contribution matters.鈥�
On Windrush Day, hear also from two recent alumni of FNF鈥檚 Windrush leadership programme* on the legacy of the Windrush generation and what leadership in health and care means to them.
This experience has reminded me that nurses are often the first to recognise where improvements are needed. With the right support, knowledge, and confidence, we can turn those observations into real change. My journey, from growing up in Jamaica to leading a quality improvement project while studying for a master鈥檚 degree, has shown me that leadership can come from anywhere. What matters most is the willingness to learn, the courage to challenge the status quo, and the determination to improve care for patients. The future of healthcare depends on nurses who are willing to lead change. And that change can begin with a single idea
Sarah Pierre, FNF Windrush Leadership Programme Alumna
The Windrush programme challenged me to look beyond leadership frameworks and explore something far more powerful – identity, belonging and influence. For perhaps the first time in my professional life, I stopped asking, 鈥淗ow can I fit in?鈥� and started asking, 鈥淗ow can I help others belong?鈥�. I realised that clinical education is not simply about teaching skills. It is about creating environments where people believe they belong. Where difference is recognised as a strength rather than a barrier. Where diversity is not tolerated but valued. Where every learner can thrive. As we celebrate Windrush Day, we honour a generation whose legacy continues to shape the NHS every day. Their story reminds us that leadership begins long before a title is awarded. It begins the moment we choose courage over comfort. The moment we choose inclusion over indifference. The moment we use our voice so that others may find theirs.
Shivarajkumar Dandagi, FNF Windrush Leadership Programme Alumnus
Read more about Sarah and Raj鈥檚 experience in their 鈥楽tar Alumni鈥� stories here.
*FNF鈥檚 Windrush Leadership Programme started in 2018, in partnership with Health Education England, now NHS England. It was set up in response to the Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES) data that showed us that nurses and midwives from black and ethnic minority background have poorer working experience and less favourable career progression opportunities,. Since then over 350 nurses and midwives have graduated from the programme, with more still part way through.
