The inspiring story of the migrant nurses in London who helped build the NHS – MyLondon

The current coronavirus crisis has emphasised to everyone just how vital the NHS is to us, and the incredible work all the staff do on a daily basis.

As you regularly see today, the NHS relies heavily on an international workforce, with doctors and nurses, cleaners and engineers all coming from across the world.

But this is nothing new - almost from the outset the NHS was filled with immigrants who helped to grow the workforce.

Initially a huge number of NHS nurses were Irish - they had worked in hospitals prior to the NHS being created - and as news spread about the good pay and better opportunities in the UK, more and more people moved to be part of our health service.

In 1949 health and labour ministries started recruitment campaigns to encourage thousands of nurses from across the globe to come and work in British hospitals, many coming from the Caribbean, but also other parts of the empire such as Malaysia and Mauritius.

There was an appeal in the early 1960s for doctors from India and Pakistan - more than 18,000 came, which contributed hugely to the healthcare system across the UK.

One woman, Laurel Robertson, came from St Lucia in 1958 and trained to be a nurse in Northwood before working in A&E at St James' hospital in Balham.

In an interview with The Guardian in 2018 she said: "I started my training as a midwife in St Lucia. Then I saw an advertisement saying that they were desperate in London to have qualified persons to help out, so I came here in 1958, when I was 20, and trained for three years at Mount Vernon hospital in Northwood."

Another woman, Cecilia Brown, spoke to to The Guardian about her time working at St George's hospital in the 60s.

The coronavirus pandemic has undoubtedly changed the lives of Londoners.

We can no longer use the London Underground or buses, and are practising what we preach by only going out for essential trips.

This is all to protect ourselves and our loved ones from the virus strain Covid-19.

During this crisis there is one group of workers that are putting their own health at risk by helping to keep others alive. That's our NHS workers. Across the UK, doctors, nurses and other frontline staff are treating patients with limited resources.

The best we can do to help is to follow the government guidelines on social distancing - that's staying at least two metres away from other people and only leaving your house for essential trips.

But here at MyLondon, we've created another way to give our thanks. You can pledge your support to the NHS by adding a heart to the map from where you live. Click here to do so. You can also get in touch by sharing stories of NHS workers who have helped you or a loved one, or are doing an amazing job in our hospitals by emailing mylondonnewsdesk@reachplc.com.

They really are the best of us all.

She came from Grenada in 1966 to train, and over the course of her 39 career in the NHS worked in cardiac, medical and surgical nursing.

She said: "I liked my job very much. They were strict with us where I was trained (in Farnham, Surrey), but very nice.

"If you were making the beds and the fold in the sheet was not in the centre of the mattress, God help you youd have to undo it and redo it in the sisters presence, and youd be shaking like a leaf."

The coronavirus pandemic has undoubtedly changed the lives of Londoners.

We can no longer use the London Underground or buses, and are practising what we preach by only going out for essential trips.

This is all to protect ourselves and our loved ones from the virus strain Covid-19.

During this crisis there is one group of workers that are putting their own health at risk by helping to keep others alive. That's our NHS workers. Across the UK, doctors, nurses and other frontline staff are treating patients with limited resources.

The best we can do to help is to follow the government guidelines on social distancing - that's staying at least two metres away from other people and only leaving your house for essential trips.

But here at MyLondon, we've created another way to give our thanks. You can pledge your support to the NHS by adding a heart to the map from where you live. Click here to do so. You can also get in touch by sharing stories of NHS workers who have helped you or a loved one, or are doing an amazing job in our hospitals by emailing mylondonnewsdesk@reachplc.com.

They really are the best of us all.

Have you been affected by coronavirus in your part of London? If so, email mylondonnewsdesk@reachplc.com

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The inspiring story of the migrant nurses in London who helped build the NHS - MyLondon