Birth of the NHS

At the time that the National Health Service was established by the postwar Labour Government in 1948 it was officially estimated that there was a shortage of 48,000 nurses in Britain.

In 1949 the government launched a recruitment drive, taking out advertisements in West Indian newspapers.  Initially hospital matrons in Britain were discouraged from direct recruitment because the government wanted control of the process through the Ministry of Labour.  The government was under pressure from trade unions who feared immigration would threaten existing jobs.  NHS recruitment was not restricted to nurses; catering and cleaning staff were also sought.

However by 1954 it was clear that many hospitals in the UK were by-passing official procedures. Informal family and friendship networks also played an important part in encouraging young Caribbean women to apply to train as nurses in the UK.