University of Huddersfield Names New Building After NHS’s First Black Matron

A recently constructed university building in Huddersfield has been named to honor the first Black matron in the NHS. Daphne Steele, born in Guyana, was a “trailblazing” figure in UK healthcare, having worked in London, Manchester, and Oxfordshire before her appointment as matron of St Winifred’s maternity home in Ilkley in 1964. The six-storey Daphne Steele Building, featuring state-of-the-art equipment and facilities for midwifery and nursing, was officially inaugurated at the University of Huddersfield’s National Health Innovation Campus. Chancellor Sir George Buckley stated he was “humbled” that Ms Steele’s family had permitted them to name the building in her honor, expressing his hope that it would “inspire the next generation of healthcare professionals”. Sir George additionally described Ms Steele as “a true pioneer of healthcare,” asserting that she was “renowned for her expertise, care and compassion, which are all as relevant now as they were when she was working in the NHS.” Ms Steele’s son, Robert, was present at the official opening and commented that after previously seeing drawings of the building, “to be here in the flesh has surpassed everything I thought it would be”. He further elaborated, “Looking at some of these cutting-edge facilities, getting a feel for how this will affect the local community, training the next generation of healthcare professionals, underlines that it is a truly wonderful resource.” The Local Democracy Reporting Service indicates that the building houses equipment and facilities for the University’s programs in midwifery, nursing, occupational therapy, operating department practice, paramedic science, physiotherapy, podiatry, and speech and language therapy. Karin Smyth MP, a minister in the Department of Health and Social Care, commented that naming the building after Ms Steele serves as a tribute to the “countless contributions of migrant workers who have played a crucial role in the NHS since its creation”. A blue plaque was revealed in February at the former St Winifred’s maternity home in Ilkley; this marked the first official blue plaque to be situated outside London.