Daphne Steele facts for kids

Daphne Steele (born 16 October 1929 – died 2004) was a brave Guyanese nurse. In 1964, she made history. She became the very first Black Matron in the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK. This was a huge step forward for equality.

Daphne Steele's Early Life

Daphne Steele was born in 1929. Her birthplace was Essequibo, a Dutch colony. Today, this area is part of Guyana. She was the oldest of nine children in her family. Her younger sister, Carmen Steele, later became a famous actress. You might know her as Carmen Munroe.

Daphne's mother stayed at home to care for the family. Her father was a pharmacist. He traveled around the colony for his work. The family was quite well-off. They could afford help to clean their house.

Becoming a Nurse

Daphne began her nursing training in 1945. She studied nursing and midwifery in Georgetown. This was at the public hospital there. In 1951, she moved to the United Kingdom. The British government was looking for nurses. They needed people to work in the new National Health Service (NHS).

Her journey to the UK took 14 days by ship. She arrived in Plymouth, Devon. Daphne was surprised when a white man carried her luggage. In her home country, white men usually had manager jobs.

Daphne joined a special training program. It was at St James' Hospital in Balham, South London. She felt the training was very strict, like being in the military. This strictness even applied to the nurses' home where she lived.

Daphne also saw some unfair treatment from white colleagues and patients. She tried to be friendly to avoid this. She remembered that her Jamaican friends were good at handling difficult patients.

Working as a Matron

In 1955, Daphne moved to the United States. She worked at a hospital in New Jersey. But she returned to the UK in 1960. She then worked at RAF Brize Norton. Later, she moved to Manchester. There, she became a Deputy Matron at a nursing home.

When this nursing home was closing, an Irish Matron gave Daphne an idea. She suggested Daphne should apply to become a Matron herself. So, in 1964, Daphne Steele was chosen. She became the Matron at St. Winifred's Hospital. This hospital was in Ilkley, West Yorkshire.

This was a very important moment. It was the first time a Black person was appointed as a Matron in the entire NHS. News of her appointment spread worldwide. Daphne received about 350 letters from people wishing her well.

After St. Winifred's Hospital closed in 1971, Daphne took on a new role. She became a health visitor at Leeds University.

Later Years and Legacy

After she retired, Daphne Steele continued to help others. She volunteered for many groups. One of them was Soroptimist International. She also became the vice-president of a group called AGNAP. This group was for Guyanese Nurses and Allied Professionals. Daphne was also a dedicated Methodist.

In 2001, the Guyanese High Commissioner to the United Kingdom honored Daphne. He gave her a certificate. This was to celebrate her great achievements in medicine. Daphne Steele passed away in 2004.

Her impact is still remembered today. In 2013, AGNAP renamed their yearly health talk. It is now called the Daphne Steele Memorial Lecture. This honors her memory.

On what would have been her 91st birthday, 16 October 2018, another tribute took place. A special blue plaque was put up at St. James's Hospital in Balham. This is where she first trained when she arrived in England. The Nubian Jak Community Trust organized this plaque. It helps people remember her important contributions.