Chief nurse remembers arrival in 'freezing' UK

Arlene Wellman described her first weekend arriving in the "freezing" UK

A award-winning chief nursing officer from Surrey has described her first weekend in the UK in “freezing” hospital accommodation with no lights.

Arlene Wellman MBE said she arrived from Trinidad on a Friday night in 1996 and had “no-one to turn to all weekend”.

She said previous tenants had taken light bulbs with them, leaving her in the dark and cold and with accommodation offices closed for the weekend.

The St George’s, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals and Health Group, where Prof Wellman is chief nurse, is launching an app to pair new arrivals up with a colleague to help them settle into life in the UK.

The mother-of-four and grandmother said: “I remember being told when I was coming to the UK that I need to get a duvet.

“I was like, what's a duvet? I’m from Trinidad and we don’t have duvets.”

But she said the following Monday she met with the overseas coordinator, also a nurse.

Prof Wellman said: “She was amazing and took me under her wing.”

In June 2021, she was awarded an MBE in the late Queen’s Birthday Honours in recognition of her contribution to nursing.

Prof Wellman's contribution to nursing was recognised with an MBE

The new app - Ask Aunty - allows staff to get advice on things such as opening a bank account or how to find somewhere to rent.

In total there are 781 internationally trained nurses working for the hospital group, who are all offered a support package.

Prof Wellman said: “Things are much better for international nurses now, but we wanted to develop Ask Aunty as there is still room to improve their experience.”