A group of Bath nurses have been invited to a special Royal reception (Wednesday, 14th March) to thank front line staff working in the NHS.

Five nurses from the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trustwill join more than 350 NHS guests from all over the country at Buckingham Palace.

The reception is being hosted by The Prince of Wales, on behalf of Her Majesty TheQueen, to celebrate nursing in the UK. Her Royal Highness, The Countess of Wessex, will also be in attendance.

Simon Andrews, surgical matron at the RUH, said: “The invitation came out of the blue. It’s a surprise and a great honour – we’re all really pleased that the nursing profession is being recognised.”

Tanya Harris, senior sister on the ACE older persons’ assessment ward, said: “It’s lovely to receive an official Royal thank you. It’s not just for us, it’s for all of the staff here who work so hard.”

Vicky Whittock, a sister in the Emergency Department, said: “We’re all looking forward to the event, visiting Buckingham Palace for the firsttimeand hopefully actually meeting Prince Charles. It’s nice for everyone that the NHS is being celebrated.”

Other RUH staff invited are Jo Miller, Head of Nursing Medical Division, and Donna Milner, a junior sister in the Surgical Short Stay ward. Nicola Murphy, Lead Nurse for Quality Improvement at Bath and North East Somerset Clinical Commissioning Group is also attending the event in recognition of her work with providers to improve local health and care services.

Nicola said: “I am thrilled and honoured to be going to Buckingham Palace.My role means I am involved in the way NHS services are commissioned and delivered and this nomination demonstrates how commissioning nurses can have a positive influence on front-line nursing and patients.”

The guests will represent nurses from throughout the profession, from hospitals to general practice to community nursing, nursing homes, and nurses in the armed forces and prisons. Organisations represented will include St John Ambulance, the Royal College of Nursing, the Queen’s Nursing Institute, and Florence Nightingale Foundation.

His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wale,s is a long-time supporter of the healthcare sector and is Patron of several charities which involve and support nurses, including Macmillan Cancer Care, Marie Curie and The British Red Cross. All three organisations will be represented at the reception. The Countess of Wessex is Patron of The Nursing Memorial Appeal and Colonel-in-Chief of Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps.