A Hidden History: African Women and the British Health Service, 1930-2000

Recruitment for the British health service from the colonies of the British Empire began in the period after the Second World War. However, nurses, doctors and other medical professionals trained in Britain before this, as higher education was generally not available in the colonies.

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Despite their long history of work within the health service in Britain, the role of African women is rarely highlighted in discussions of the history of the NHS or of health work more generally. As current narratives on black women in the British health service tend to focus on 'Windrush generation' Caribbean contributions, this project will cover new ground and expand the understanding of this history.

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This project is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, and will be undertaken in partnership with Ghana Nurses Association, Nigerian Nurses Charitable Association and the Black Cultural Archives.