A major new project from the Department of Health will celebrate the contribution made by people from the Caribbean Commonwealth in the early years of the NHS.

The project will document the experiences and commitment of those from the Caribbean who helped set the foundations for today’s NHS, during its formative years between 1948 and 1969.

In the wake of the post-war boom, NHS staff were actively recruited from the Caribbean by the British government to help build the newly formed NHS, at a time when the UK faced severe shortages in labour at all levels in the health service. Recruitment came through advertisements in local Caribbean newspapers and active recruitment drives in the colonies.

Personal stories will be collated into a book to be published later in the year. The widest possible range of occupational groups will be depicted and will include people who made notable contributions and those who worked at all levels of the health service.

Oral histories, supported by images, will be the principal approach used in collecting material; the emphasis will be on people telling their own stories.

The book will be commercially published but will also be distributed free to careers services and organisations which help young people make career decisions.

Cecile Day, chair of the Department’s Ethnic Minority Working Group, said:
“This section of the workforce, which is able to share experiences of the formative stages of the NHS's development, is rapidly becoming a diminishing source of information, as many have already become pensioners, or will do so over the next few years. It is important to record their first-hand experiences in order to acknowledge, appreciate and celebrate their contribution, which I feel will inspire others as it has inspired me to work and contribute to a service which affects all of us.”

NHS Chief Executive Sir Nigel Crisp said: “The NHS is a real living organisation and its workforce must reflect the population it serves in order to deliver appropriate services to all communities. This important project will not only ensure that the contribution of this key group of staff is preserved for the future, but will also play a valuable part in encouraging future generations to consider a career in the NHS.”

To submit your story or to be involved in the project please contact Sugar Media on telephone 0207 407 7747, or email laura@sugarmedia.co.uk. The book will be published in October 2005 to coincide with Black History Month.