A new collection of portraits brings attention to the significant contribution of migrant workers in the UK’s National Health Service (NHS). The compelling series, by photographer and Oscar-nominated director JJ Keith, honors the crucial role these first-generation migrants play in maintaining the NHS.
In collaboration with the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, the project is part of Keith’s larger initiative titled “Open Britain: Portrait of a Diverse Nation”. The collection features 23 NHS workers, varying from porters to trauma surgeons, all of whom are first-generation migrants.
Although 17% of the NHS workforce are known to be non-British nationals, the figure for first-generation migrants is likely higher. The NHS, facing significant pressure as highlighted in a recent report by Lord Dazi, arguably may not have been able to function without the sacrifices these individuals have made by relocating to the UK.
The portrait series was inspired by a chance meeting between JJ Keith and Prof Bob Klaber, a pediatrician at the Trust. “Healthcare has people at its heart – our patients, the communities we serve and the wonderful staff who deliver the care,” said Prof Klaber. According to Klaber, Keith’s stunning portraits bring to life the extraordinary stories of many colleagues who have brought their compassion, kindness, and expertise from across the globe to the hospitals.
Keith expressed his desire for the public to appreciate the diversity within the NHS and recognise the importance of these workers. “The feelings and thoughts I want to inspire are as diverse as the people and stories themselves but if I had to pick just one it would be gratitude,” he said.
For over 18 months, through his ongoing “Open Britain: Portrait of a Diverse Nation” project, Keith has documented the lives of more than 130 first-generation migrants. The project showcases the rich blend of cultures that constitute British society.
The latest collaboration with Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust yielded five remarkable stories. Among them are Jimmy Jombla, a midwife at Queen Charlotte’s & Chelsea Hospital who fled the war in Sierra Leone in 1997; Rhona Eslabra, a matron for St Mary’s and Western Eye hospitals who was recruited by the NHS from the Philippines, leaving her baby daughter and husband behind; and Zubeid Namigul, an associate pathology practitioner at Charing Cross who was born in Pakistan to Afghan refugee parents and moved to the UK at seven years old.
Also featured is Maryam Alfa-Wali, a trauma surgeon at St Mary’s Hospital who moved to the UK from Kano, Northern Nigeria, with her parents and nine siblings and chose to stay to pursue medicine; and Albert King, a decontamination supervisor in the endoscopic processing unit at Hammersmith Hospital who moved to the UK from the Democratic Republic of Congo in the early 1980s to study theology and religious studies, before being drawn to surgery.
To discover more about the collaboration between JJ Keith and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, you can visit their website. The stunning images of all the featured NHS workers were provided by JJ Keith.
