On the 21 June 1948, two weeks before the formation of the NHS, the HMT Empire Windrush arrived in the UK carrying over 1000 passengers who disembarked the following day, hoping to start a new life, and bringing much needed skills and labour to post war Britain.

Over 800 passengers aboard listed their last country of residence as one of the Caribbean nations. Five passengers listed their profession as medical and many others as nurses. Many of those passengers who arrived from the Caribbean between 1948 and 1973 went on to work for the NHS.

To discover more about those who travelled on the Empire Windrush you can visit the National Archives blog where you can find out more about viewing the passenger manifest (both in person at the National Archives or through digitised content online).

Affiliate Medical Associations

The medical professionals aboard embarked at Trinidad, Kingston (Jamaica) and Barbados. At the time these counties were British colonies, and each had a local branch of the BMA known as Affiliate Medical Associations.

Much like the BMA in Britain the local affiliate branches campaigned the Government for better health care facilities, systems and recognition for doctors.

The image below shows some of the work of the Jamaica branch of AMA in 1938-39.

Image: Page from Jamaica Branch Transactions for Years of Royal Visit 1953-54 with review covering the period 1937-54. Arch Ref. D/103/25/1

Commonwealth Medical Association

In the year after the Empire Windrush made the journey across the Atlantic, doctors from Commonwealth countries came together to discuss the formation of an international organisation to set universal education and standards.

Image: Copy of communication announcement, 22 June 1949. Arch ref. C/7/1/1

In 1952 the Commonwealth Medical Association was established with the main objective of assisting and strengthening the capacities of national medical associations of countries within the Commonwealth to improve the health, well-being and human rights of their countries and communities.

The BMA has always looked at ways to support doctors into the profession with the Empire Medical Advisory Bureau opening in July 1948.

Image: Article published in a BMA circular, 1948. Arch ref. C/7/1/1

International medical professionals

International Medical Graduates (IMGs) have been an integral part of our NHS right from its inception and today, 75 years on; the NHS is one of the most diverse workforces in the UK.

We use the term ‘Windrush Generation’ to refer to those who travelled from the Caribbean to the UK between 1948 and the 1970’s. Many of these people travelled to take up vital jobs in the NHS. By 1960, almost 40% of junior doctors in the NHS came from commonwealth or former commonwealth counties. Figures from 1971 suggested that 31% of all NHS doctors in England were born and educated abroad. In 2022, 46% of doctors joining the NHS in England came from overseas.

In 2022 the BMA launched its international affiliate membership, aiming to support IMG’s, from when they first arrive in the UK through to their career progression. Find out more on the BMA website.

References:

Baker, C. (2022) NHS Staff from overseas: statistics. House of Commons Library. Available at: https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-7783/CBP-7783.pdf  [Accessed 16 June 2023]

NHS Digital (2022) 2022 data: NHS Digital, NHS Workforce Statistics – December 2022. Available at https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-workforce-statistics/december-2022   [Accessed 16 June 2023]

Bivins, R. The Windrush Generation and the NHS: By the Numbers. (People’s History of the NHS) Available at: https://peopleshistorynhs.org/the-windrush-generation-and-the-nhs-by-the-numbers/ [Accessed 16 June 2023]

Bivins, R. Windrush and the NHS, by the Numbers 2: Where we are today. (People’s History of the NHS) Available at: https://peopleshistorynhs.org/windrush-and-the-nhs-by-the-numbers-2-where-we-are-today/ [Accessed 16 June 2023]

Royal Museums Greenwich. The story of the Windrush. Available at: https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/windrush-histories/story-of-windrush-ship [Accessed 16 June 2023]