The film 'Irish Nurses in the NHS' had its premiere in London at the Irish Embassy on 13 February 2024.
This film directed by Mohamed Ali Elota and produced by Tom McGorrian, arises from our on-going oral history project with Irish nurses who were recruited in the post-war era to work in Britain's National Health Service. By the 1970s, over 30,000 Irish-born nurses were working in the NHS, constituting one of largest migrant groups working within Britain's health service.
The film includes wonderful archive footage from the era alongside the stories of 9 retired Irish nurses in their own words. The screening at the Irish Embassy drew a large crowd including from across Irish NGOs and cultural organisations as well as health service providers, the Royal College of Nursing and nurse educators. The attendees, including many of our older research participants, were hugely enthusiastic about how the film portrays and preserves their stories for posterity.
The photo shows the Ambassador, Mr Fraser, film-makers Dr Tom McGorrian and Mohamed Ali Elota, along with the oral history research team, Grainne McPolin, Neha Doshi and Prof Louise Ryan, as well as the retired Irish nurses who appeared in the film. Ethel, Madeline, Lorna, Bernie, Mary, Rosemary and Olive. A big 'thank you' to them all.