I was born and bred in east London, and before becoming Regional Director of Royal College of Nursing (RCN) London in February 2020, I was a director of nursing working in primary care in Newham.

Having been a nurse for more than 20 years, and in that time working across many settings throughout London, from intensive care, to out in the community, to being a director of nursing, I know there are so many opportunities in the profession. Nursing is a demanding and very rewarding profession.

There is no question that last year truly was the Year of the Nurse and Midwife. The pandemic has really highlighted the vital role nurses play. Nurses rose to the challenge and put their patients first, and they continue to do so. It makes me extremely proud to be a nurse and part of London’s nursing community.

I think it is only right that the World Health Organization decided to extend the Year of the Nurse to 2021 to celebrate the contribution that nurses make.

And while it is a time to celebrate nurses, we must remember that it’s also been incredibly tough. Nursing staff have had to work through unimaginable situations during the pandemic, and we need to make sure they are supported and given time for recovery.

This will not be helped by the fact there aren’t enough nurses in the capital. Even before the pandemic, London was already missing over 8,400 nurses, and that was in the NHS alone. Many of my members have also told me that the cost of living is pushing them out of the capital.

Members have been telling me that they don’t feel valued, and this is especially hard after such a challenging year. Part of this relates to fair pay and that’s why the RCN is running the #FairPayForNursing campaign, calling for a 12.5 per cent pay rise for NHS nursing staff.

So as part of celebrating nurses this year, please show your support and help make them feel valued for the vital work they do.

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