Celebrating Nurses and Midwives Across the World
Yesterday, the 61st annual Florence Nightingale Commemoration Service took place at Westminster Abbey. Held on 12 May, International Nurses Day and the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the occasion is a particularly fitting moment to celebrate nurses and midwives across the UK and around the world for the tireless work they carry out every day.
Hosted by the Florence Nightingale Foundation (FNF), and generously sponsored by HCA Healthcare UK, the special service gave thanks for and celebrated nurses and midwives everywhere who continue Florence Nightingale’s legacy of improving health and care.
We were honoured that Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Edinburgh GCVO attended the event and read a lesson during the Service.
We welcomed UK and global representatives from across nursing and midwifery organisations, communities and partners. Many of our FNF Academy organisations were represented, alongside students from HCA Healthcare UK and the University of East London, our Students’ Day sponsors, held earlier in the day.
“One of the greatest honours of the day was representing the student cohort during the Procession of the Lamp. It was a moment that carried immense pride and emotion in us. After we reflected on the responsibility of being the face of student nurses and how this motivates us even more to grow, advocate, and strive to be the change healthcare needs. We are the next generation of nurses, and experiences such as this remind us why that matters so deeply.”
A collective quote from Students from the University of East London (UEL)
We were also joined by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, The Rt Hon Wes Streeting MP, who read a lesson during the Service.
“There is no NHS without Florence Nightingale, who paved the way for the thousands of dedicated nurses and midwives that remain the heart and soul of the health and care services in this country today. Nurses and midwives are there for us and our loved ones at the best of times and the worst of times, providing high quality and compassionate care, so it’s right that we take the time to honour the whole profession and the nurses and midwives we’ve lost throughout history.”
Wes Streeting, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Thank you to HCA Healthcare UK for its generous sponsorship of the Service.
“We are proud to sponsor the Florence Nightingale Commemoration Service. It gives us the opportunity to honour Florence’s enduring legacy and recognise the ongoing impact of nursing leadership and excellence. The Florence Nightingale Foundation plays a vital role in nurturing the next generation of nurse leaders, and this sponsorship reflects our shared values of learning, leadership and service.”
Kathryn Hornby, Chief Nursing Executive, HCA Healthcare UK
Florence Nightingale Commemoration Service 2027
If you would like to be able to apply for tickets for the Florence Nightingale Commemoration Service in 2027, please do sign up to our monthly newsletter, where we share details of the limited public tickets which are available each year. You will also receive updates on FNF leadership development opportunities and much more.
Images
We are delighted to share some of the photographs taken before and during the Service with you, we will share further images as soon as we receive them.
Photograph credit: The Dean and Chapter of Westminster
