The National Health Service is calling for people to put forward the names of Windrush generation NHS workers for awards celebrating their contributions to the UK.
The awards will mark the arrival of German cruise liner ‘Empire Windrush’ at Tilbury docks which carried 492 passengers from the West Indies on June 22 1948.
The Windrush anniversary takes place as the NHS marks its 70th year in 2018.
Many passengers were among the first to go and work in the newly formed National Health Service which launched just two weeks later.
The NHS is the largest employer of black and minority ethnic (BME) staff, who make up a fifth of its workers.
Windrush 70 will celebrate the contributions and diversity of BME people at the NHS, from the Windrush generation of 1948, the south Asian arrivals in the 1960s and 70s, to today’s workforce, represented by 202 nationalities.
Yvonne Coghill, NHS England’s race equality chief, said: “I am delighted that we have an opportunity to celebrate our diverse workforce.
“Hard-working doctors, nurses and other staff are the NHS’s backbone, and these awards are a way of saying a big thank you, to everyone working tirelessly to keep the NHS moving as we look forward to another 70 years of care.”
Nominations are open to current or former NHS employees, who have made an exceptional contribution to the health service through nursing, medic or BME leader roles.
They can be made for colleagues or medical staff, of any nationality, who have gone the extra mile or a health care professional who made a care breakthrough.
The awards event takes place on June 12 at Manchester Central ahead of the NHS turning 70 on July 5.
Award categories include gongs for clinical excellence, an unsung hero and a lifetime achievement award.
To register votes and more details visit the NHS’s Windrush 70 website.
You can also nominate via Twitter @WRES_team, or email england.wres@nhs.net, with Windrush 70 nomination in the subject line
Each voter can nominate up to 50 separate individuals in one category of spread nominations over various categories.
The closing date for submitting nominations is Friday April 27.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here