Peter Carter (nurse) facts for kids
Peter Carter, born in 1949, is a healthcare expert. He used to be the main leader of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN). The RCN is a big group for nurses in the UK. He has also received a special award called the OBE. This award is given for great service to the country. He is also a special member of several important medical colleges.
Peter Carter's Journey in Healthcare
Peter Carter started his career as a nurse. He trained for three years to be a psychiatric nurse. This means he helped people with mental health needs. He worked at Hill End Hospital in St Albans. He also learned about family therapy and helping people in a crisis.
He also trained as a general nurse. This training happened at St Albans City Hospital and in London. He worked in different nursing and management jobs. These jobs were in places like Hertfordshire and London.
Peter studied business management. He earned two important degrees: an MBA and a PhD. These are advanced university degrees. He got them from the University of Birmingham. For nearly 12 years, he was the Chief Executive of a big NHS mental health trust. A Chief Executive is like the main boss of an organisation.
In January 2007, he became the general secretary and Chief Executive for the Royal College of Nursing. This was a very important role. In 2013, he received an honorary doctorate from Edge Hill University. This is a special award from a university. He was given the OBE in 2006. This was for his great work for the NHS. In 2011, he won a special medal from the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
He is also a visiting professor at several universities. These include Anglia Ruskin University and King's College London. He is also a vice president for the Institute of Customer Service.
Leading the Royal College of Nursing
Peter Carter became the general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing in January 2007. He took over from Beverly Malone. When he started, he made changes to the RCN. He helped the organisation focus on important issues. He also worked on ongoing changes in the NHS.
Under his leadership, the RCN became a strong voice. They spoke up for nursing and health in UK politics. In 2013, a health magazine called him a very powerful person in the English NHS.
The RCN won awards while he was in charge. They were seen as a great employer. They got a Gold award from Investors in People. Since 2010, they have been on a list of the best non-profit organisations. When he left the RCN in 2015, it had more members than ever before. Over 430,000 nurses were part of the RCN.
In 2020, Peter Carter was given a special award. He became a Fellow of the Royal College of Nursing.
Temporary Leadership Roles
After leaving the RCN, Peter Carter took on temporary leadership jobs. On November 9, 2016, he became the interim chair of the Medway NHS Foundation Trust. An interim chair is a temporary leader. He helped until a new permanent chair was found.
In October 2017, he took on the same role. This was at East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust. He worked there until March 2018. He also served as interim chair for North Middlesex NHS University Trust.
