Angela Robinson, Lucie Butler and Caroline Alexander from Barts Health NHS Trust with John Orchard, CEO of Cavell Nurses’ Trust. Photo taken at the CNO conference earlier this year, pre-social distancing measures being introduced.

Barts Health NHS Trust, the largest NHS Trust in London, has joined the Cavell Nurses’ Trust ‘Working with’ membership programme, to help provide a long term safety net for their nursing and midwifery professionals. The Trust, based over 5 sites, has a workforce of around 17,000 staff looking after the population of East London and beyond.

Both Barts Health and Cavell Nurses’ Trust share in the legacy of First World War Nurse, Edith Cavell, who trained at The Royal London Hospital, now a part of Barts Health NHS Trust, and in whose name Cavell Nurses’ Trust was set up in 1917.

“We are proud to be working with Cavell Nurses’ Trust and especially launching this in 2020, the Year of the Nurse and Midwife.” Chief Nurse at Barts Health, Caroline Alexander, said, “This collaboration strengthens our commitment to Edith’s memory and to supporting nurses and midwives when they need it most.”

Lucie Butler, Director of Nursing at the Royal London Hospital, said: “When we care for staff and provide a range of support mechanisms such as our connection with Cavell Nurses’ Trust, we demonstrate that we are living our values not only to the patients, families and carers that we serve, but also to the staff who are the life force of our organisation.”

The Trust encompasses St Bartholomew’s Hospital in the City, The Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, Newham University Hospital in Plaistow, Whipps Cross University Hospital in Leytonstone and Mile End Hospital.

Chief Executive of Cavell Nurses’ Trust, John Orchard, commented: “I’m so pleased to welcome Barts Health NHS Trust to the membership programme. We are so proud to be part of Edith Cavell’s legacy and this new partnership feels like a wonderful tribute to our collective history as well as to the future support we hope to offer nurses, midwives and healthcare assistants at the Trust.”

Find out more about the ‘Working with’ programme