UHNM are recipients of prestigious Michelle Cox RCN Foundation Anti-Racism Award

Jokotade Adeshina and Tenifayo Adeyemo, nurses at University Hospital of North Midlands, have been awarded the Michelle Cox RCN Foundation Anti-Racism Award.

Creating a culture of continuous improvement

Their project, Advancing Equality in Nursing: A Continuous Monitoring and Evaluation Initiative, seeks to monitor and promote racial equality, ensuring inclusive career progression and workplace diversity within nursing and midwifery.

The project intends to monitor workplace incidents and trends in the hopes to identify instances of racism and unconscious bias. In addition, the project will promote inclusive policies and implement data driven accountability to create a safe platform in which ethnic minority nurses are empowered to report incidents and share experiences and concerns without fear of retaliation. 

By embedding anti-racism into the fabric of daily operations and holding the system accountable, this project will drive sustainable and meaningful change within nursing and midwifery. The project has now begun and aims to be completed by June 2026.

Jokotade Adeshina and Tenifayo Adeyemo, nurses at University Hospital of North Midlands, said: “The project aims to address the disparities in career progression for Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) nurses and midwives within the NHS. Despite their significant contributions to healthcare, BAME nurses and midwives often face barriers that hinder their advancement, leading to a lack of diversity in leadership roles. This project is crucial for identifying these challenges through ongoing monitoring and evaluation, ensuring that tailored interventions can be developed to support equitable career development. By addressing these issues, we hope to foster a more inclusive healthcare workforce, improving both the professional experiences of BAME staff and the quality of care delivered to diverse patient populations.”

Michelle Cox said: “There are very few awards specifically for anti-racism and unfortunately, this work is often uncelebrated. So many NHS staff, including nurses and midwives, are doing incredible work on the anti-racism agenda but it is often done in silos and struggles to be sustainable or replicated beyond their current team. I am delighted that Jokotade and Tenifayo have begun work on their ambitious, but much-needed project designed to tackle systemic inequality and promote diversity within the nursing and midwifery professions. I very much look forward to hearing the progress on this worthy initiative.”