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Islington Tribune - by ED BRAY
Published: 2 November 2007

?New ward: Professor Elizabeth Anionwu, front, with the hospital’s director of nursing Deborah Wheeler and outgoing chairman Narendra Makanji

Ward tribute to black Florence Nightingale

A NURSE known as the black Florence Nightingale was honoured when a new ward at Whittington Hospital in Archway was named after her.
The Mary Seacole ward, which pays tribute to the woman who nursed British soldiers during the Crimean War, was formally opened last Friday by Professor Elizabeth Anionwu and outgoing chairman of the hospital, Narendra Makanji.
Ms Anionwu, professor of nursing at Thames Valley University in west London, said: “When I started at Thames Valley I was shocked at the lack of awareness of Mary Seacole.
“By naming this ward after her we’re recognising a historical nursing icon who happened to be of Jamaican-Scottish ancestry.”
Mary Seacole, born in Jamaica, funded her own trip to the Crimea – in present-day Ukraine – having been rejected for nursing service four times by the War Office. There she set up the British Hotel to care for wounded troops and became known as Mother Seacole.
After the war she returned to Britain bankrupt and in poor health. She was awarded several medals for her work and in 1857 a four-day military gala was held in her honour on the banks of the Thames.
More than 80,000 people attended. When she died in 1881 her obituary appeared in The Times newspaper.
Ms Anionwu said: “In her day she was as well known as Florence Nightingale.”
Mr Makanji added: “All too often characters such as Mary Seacole, and their contribution, are airbrushed out of history. We’re proud today to reinstate her to her rightful place.”
The new acute admissions ward is part of a redevelopment programme at the hospital that began five years ago. With 15 beds, five of which are in single rooms, the ward will assess patients from the emergency department and either send them home or move them to other departments.

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