Today (June 22, 2023) is the 75th anniversary of the arrival of HMT Empire Windrush in the UK.
Windrush Day has become a key symbolic moment in the story of the Black British contribution to this country. Their arrival helped create the modern Britain that we share today since many of the passengers migrated as workers and helped steer the country’s economic recovery with many of the passengers taking up roles in the NHS, which launched just two weeks later.
NCA Chairman Professor Eileen Fairhurst said: “It’s a very special year for the NHS and a very special day for a group of people and their families and descendants who quickly became the backbone of our NHS three-quarters of a century ago.
“When HMT Empire Windrush arrived on our shores in 1948, it started a 75-year relationship between the NHS and Black and ethnic minority communities. It’s a relationship I treasure.
At the NCA, we serve such varied and vibrant communities and I’m proud we rely so heavily on the skills, talents and expertise of our Black and ethnic minority colleagues in providing care and treatment to our patients and service users.
Let’s take Windrush Day as a chance to celebrate a milestone that truly helped shaped the NHS and wider society.”
