A Morecambe nurse has been named among the most influential health rising stars in the country.
Cherish Otoo, who works in the emergency department in the Royal Lancaster Infirmary, is on the Health Service Journal’s list of the 50 most influential black, asian and minority ethnic people in health: The rising stars.
Judges said she had shown “courage and enthusiasm” in tackling the challenges faced by minority ethnic colleagues. Cherish started her career in the NHS providing administrative support for waiting lists before becoming one of the first nurse apprentices in the country. She qualified earlier this year.
Cherish, who had previously worked for the Morecambe Bay health trust in a non-clinical role, was one of the first people in the UK to enrol and qualify as a nurse through the University of Cumbria’s Registered Nurse Degree Apprenticeship programme, which was the first of its kind in the country when it launched in 201
Dr Habib Naqvi is director of the NHS Race and Health Observatory, and said: ‘’Diversity of thought and representation became a defining component for many health organisations’ responses to covid-19.
‘’Diversity in the leadership of the health and care system will, in part, determine the success of its response to any future pandemic.
‘’This list therefore proves both a cause for celebration and ammunition for the fight to improve ethnic minority representation at senior levels across the system. It does not just celebrate the important role individual leaders are playing, it also underscores the critical need for diverse leadership.
We must therefore stay steadfast in our collective mission to ensure all staff have the opportunities they deserve; doing so will support the health and care system to deliver the highest quality of compassionate care for all communities.’’


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