Ann Campbell SRN SCM BEM
Henrietta Millicent Campbell but always known as Ann, was born on 8th October 1930. She arrived in the UK from Jamaica on the SS Cabinda in August 1951 having been educated in Jamaica in Savanna-La-Mar and attended Mannings Comprehensive School. Ann had done a pre nursing course in Jamaica where she took the Nightingale pledge and started general nurse training in the UK at St Albans City Hospital in Herts. She went on to train as a midwife at North Middlesex Hospital in London. Ann was appointed Senior Midwife at Hammersmith Hospital in 1958 and she worked alongside the research team who were conducting the early work on fertility.
Following several post graduate courses and her appointment as a nursing officer of the midwifery unit at the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital in the 1960s, Ann was appointed as clinical nurse tutor in Camden and Islington Health Authority. She was appointed to: develop the training of family planning nurses; create and organise family planning clinics; reduce teenage pregnancy rates; and at this time there was also an urgent need to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality rates. Ann was a local branch Chairman and Steward for the Royal College of Midwives and taught all over country. Ann was a delegate to the 40 year celebrations of the independent state of Israel.
Ann was one of the founder members of the British Caribbean Association (BCA). The BCA was formed in 1958 with wide support from Members of Parliament in the aftermath of the Notting Hill riots.
Ann joined the Royal British Nurses’ Association (RBNA) in the early 1970s. She became Vice President of the RBNA and worked tirelessly on its behalf including organising the archiving of its historical documents which are held at Kings College, London as part of their archive Collection which includes substantial records relating to the history of medicine and nursing. A record of the documents held can be accessed at
http://www.kingscollections.org/catalogues/kclca/collection/r/10ro65-
Ann also administered the distribution of the 4 charitable funds associated with the RBNA: the Ethel Mary Fletcher Fund; The Trained Nurses Annuity Fund, The Helena Benevolent Fund and The Royal British Nurses Settlement Fund. Ann continued as Chairman of the RBNA and worked voluntarily for the organisation until her death in 2017.
In July 2012 Ann was awarded the Windrush and Beyond Foundation Nurses’ award by The Queen. The Foundation’s awards recognise the individual journeys of nurses and allied health professionals from the Caribbean and African continent who made a decision to respond to the call to embark on a mutually beneficial career journey to improve the health and wellbeing of people in the NHS.
In September 2013 Ann was awarded a 51st Anniversary of the British Caribbean Association Award for Outstanding services to the Community which was presented by Baroness Howell.
Shortly before Ann’s death she was also awarded the British Empire Medal for her ‘outstanding contribution to nursing and dedication to making continuing innovative changes to the NHS over a 60 year period’.
Ann suffered from increasingly poor health and had limited mobility but carried on her work for the RBNA till her death in November 2017. She was passionate about nursing and the contribution the RBNA made to the profession, frequently quoting the aims of the RBNA ‘remaining steadfast and true’ to the noble profession of nursing.
Without Ann Campbell the RBNA may well have not have survived to tell its tale. It is a hand of fate that has ensured that the Company of Nurses Charitable Trust is there to keep alive the legacy of both Ann Campbell and the RBNA.