Blue plaque honour for first Black NHS matron Daphne Steele
- Vera B
- 2 hours ago
- 4 min read
On 23rd February 2024 , Daphne Steel who made history by becoming the first Black matron in the NHS is the first person to be commemorated with an official blue plaque outside London.
Daphne Steele was the ‘first Black matron’ in the NHS, and her remarkable achievement is now commemorated with the first official blue plaque outside London. The plaque is located at Hillside Court in Ilkley, West Yorkshire, formerly known as St Winifred’s Nursing Home.
Born in Essequibo County, Guyana (formerly British Guiana) in South America, she arrived in the UK in 1951, just three years after the NHS was established. She trained as a nurse in Balham, South London, completing her nursing training in 1953 and midwifery training in 1954. Over the next decade, she worked as a nurse and midwife in America, followed by positions in Oxfordshire and Manchester before applying for the matron role at St Winifred’s Maternity Hospital.
Daphne’s exceptional skills and engaging personality accelerated her career. When the matron position at St Winifred's became available, she was encouraged to apply. In August 1964, at the age of 36, she was appointed matron, marking a pivotal moment in NHS history that garnered international attention. She received over 350 letters of congratulation from around the world, including a one-pound note from a UK pensioner, and she personally responded to each letter that included a return address.
Daphne began her role in September 1964 and delivered her first baby on 8 October that year, according to hospital records. She managed the 14-bed hospital and oversaw between 250 and 300 deliveries annually, personally delivering over 200 babies throughout her career.
When St Winifred’s closed in October 1971, Daphne found a new job working in Wharfedale children’s hospital in Menston and then retrained as a health visitor at Leeds University. As a health visitor in Ilkley and Bingley, becoming a familiar and friendly figure to countless families in the area.
In 2001, Daphne received official recognition of her professional achievement when presented with an award from the Guyanese High Commission, a moment which she described as ‘smashing’. In 2002, she carried the Queen’s Jubilee relay baton in Shipley to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee. Daphne commented that she was ‘mainly doing it for my community, but it’s also good to represent my Commonwealth country” (Ilkley Gazette, 27 June 2002).
The Guyanese government’s recognition of her achievements was significant to her. In 2014, the Association of Guyanese Nurses and Allied Professionals (AGNAP) instituted an annual memorial lecture in her honour.
Over the past decade, Steele’s pioneering role as part of the Windrush Generation has gained recognition. In 2018, a plaque was erected by the Nubian Jak Community Trust at St James’s Hospital in Balham, and the new Health and Wellbeing Academy at the University of Huddersfield will be named after her, opening in 2024. An annual Daphne Steele Day has also been established at St George’s Hospital, Tooting, on her birthday.
Daphne’s name was put forward for a Historic England Blue Plaque by Bradford Civic Society and Bradford Metropolitan District Council after local people named her as one of several inspirational local women through a community-led project called 'Bradford Lasses'.
The unveiling of her plaque was celebrated by Arts and Heritage Minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay, representatives of Historic England, and Daphne Steele’s son.
Robert Steele shared, “My mother saw herself as a nurse and midwife. She would be speechless, mind-blown, to see a plaque dedicated to her and to know that she had made such a difference to so many people.”
Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive of Historic England, remarked, “We are delighted to dedicate the first Historic England blue plaque to Daphne Steele, a ‘quiet revolutionary’ who, nearly sixty years ago, changed history when she became the first Black matron in the NHS. Our national blue plaques scheme is a fantastic opportunity to tell the stories of inspirational people, like Daphne, who have helped make the world a better place.”
Chief Nursing Officer Dame Ruth May added, “It is wonderful that Daphne Steele is being honoured with the first official blue plaque outside London. Her remarkable career in nursing midwifery and as a health visitor, and like so many from the Windrush generation, she made an enormous contribution to the NHS. This is a fitting tribute to an inspiring woman who has undoubtedly paved the way for many other nurses and midwives.”
The plaque unveiling marks the beginning of a new official Blue Plaque scheme by Historic England, which will now operate equally across England, expanding its reach beyond London.
The blue plaque reads: "Daphne Steele. 1927-2004. Guyanese nurse and midwife. Pioneering black matron in the NHS lived and worked here."
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