A nurse at Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (WWL) has won Nurse of The Year at the Caribbean and African Health Network (CAHN) Black Healthcare Awards.
Gideon Agbemafle, Global Majority Practice Development Nurse and Chief Nursing Officer Fellow, was awarded the prize at the prestigious ceremony at the Park Plaza, Westminster, London.
The awards recognise and celebrate the skills, talents, passion and energy of the Black health and care workforce who make a meaningful impact through leadership and compassionate care, and reflect the organisation’s continued dedication to excellence, innovation, and inclusive care.
Gideon said: “I feel incredibly honoured to receive the Nurse of the Year award and want to extend a heartfelt thank you to my colleagues across the Trust who have supported and inspired this work. This recognition reflects the power of collaboration, allyship, and the impact we can have when we champion inclusion, support staff from the global majority, and create spaces where everyone can thrive. We have achieved so much together, and I’m excited to keep building on this momentum.”
Since the National Health Service was established in July 1948, people of Black, Caribbean and African heritage have played a fundamental role in the delivery of its care, yet, until 2024, no awards ceremony had existed specifically for Black healthcare professionals in the UK. Now in only its second year, these awards promise to recognise individuals who have established themselves as outstanding in their practice and with unrivalled determination to make a difference to all, as they fulfil their vocation.
Kev Parker-Evans, Chief Nursing Officer at WWL, said: “We are incredibly proud of Gideon and the work he is doing at WWL to create a more diverse and inclusive nursing workforce. It was a privilege to accompany him to the awards ceremony and I’m sure this will be the first of many accolades he receives.”
Enock Yamoah, Nurse and Chief Nursing Officer Fellow, who works in WWL’s Surgical Admissions Lounge, was also shortlisted in the Digital Health Innovator of the Year, and received a Highly Commended certificate.