Senior Sister celebrates Britain’s frontline nurses with Prince Charles
Lucie Kabatesi, Senior Sister on Acute Medical Unit (AMU) and Ambulatory Care Unit (ACU), Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Greenwich, spent her evening recently with Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace at a reception to celebrate Britain’s frontline nurses.
The event was hosted at Buckingham Palace last Wednesday (14 March 2018) with Prince Charles praising the 'unsung and unseen' hard work that nurses do. Lucie was the only nurse invited from Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust and unexpectedly received her invitation through the post.
Lucie said: “I have no idea who nominated me for this event; it was a real honour. It was an incredible experience and I am still on cloud nine from being there with Prince Charles and nurses from across Britain. When I met him I shook Prince Charles’s hand and then curtseyed. He asked me what type of nurse I was; I told him I was an acute nurse and that I worked for Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust based at Queen Elizabeth Hospital. He said ‘oh really the Queen Elizabeth Hospital’ and smiled. He was very charming and gracious with us all.
“Going to this event has given me a real boost; nurses do not often get recognised enough and Prince Charles made us all feel really special and valued with the job we do. He kept saying the work you nurses do is incredible and could not thank us enough. This was a once in a lifetime experience that I will never forget. I am going to frame the invite that I got and put it in a special place in my house.”
The event started at 6pm and finished at 8pm with free food and champagne. Prince Charles will share his 70th birthday this year with the 70th anniversary of the National Health Service.