NHS England appoints joint chairs to BME advisory group

Vinice Thomas and Gifty Markey were named as the new joint chairs of the group by NHS England in a nursing and midwifery bulletin that was sent out last week.

Ms Thomas is currently director of nursing and quality at NHS England in the London region and has been the regional chair for the strategic advisory group for that region for seven years.

She has previously worked within national roles at the King’s Fund think tank and the Department of Health and Social Care, and has sat on the Royal College of Nursing forum steering committees.

Meanwhile, Ms Markey is associate chief nursing officer for mental health, learning disability and neurodiversity at North Bristol NHS Trust.

She has over 21 years experience in nursing across five NHS organisations and has previously worked as a Care Quality Commission specialist advisor.

Ms Markey said it was a “great privilege” to be appointed as joint chair of the group.

She added: “This is an opportunity to support the vision to promote and provide equity and inclusive leadership in the nursing and midwifery workforce nationally.

“As a person with lived experience, I am fully committed to promoting a more inclusive workplace and I am confident this role will give me the platform to influence and lead the equality, diversity and inclusion agenda, promoting transparency, equality and equity in opportunities.”

The BME strategic advisory group, established in 2001, advises the CNO and CMidO on matters relating to race equity and is a voice for the Black and minority ethnic nursing and midwifery workforce across the NHS in England.

The appointments of Ms Thomas and Ms Markey come after Felicia Kwaku stepped down from the role last month.

Ms Kwaku had been in post since April 2020. Under her leadership the group has grown its membership from 75 to almost 350.