The Countess of Wessex at the University of Surrey
This week the Countess of Wessex had two public engagements; first naming a new facility at University of Surrey before joining young professionals at the Duke of Edinburgh awards. The new facility was named after Dr. Kate Granger who spearheaded the #Hellomynameis campiagn to encourage health professionals to make a personal connection with patients to help improve health outcomes and interactions.
The University of Surrey names their new facility after the NHS doctor as a tribute to the tremendous progress that she made in improving overall care. The Countess of Wessex was joined by the late Dr. Grangers husband, Matt Pointon, who spoke at the opening of the new facility which will house the prestigious School of health services. During his speech, Matt Pointon said;
"We all know from our own personal experiences that the way medical professionals treat those in their care can make all the difference to their wellbeing and outlook; simple gestures of kindness and compassion along with an introduction make patients feel unique, valued and respected."
The facility is at the forefront of educating the next generation of nurses, midwives, physician associates and paramedics in the United Kingdom. 2020 is the World Health Organization National year of the Nurse and Midwife in order to honor the work and services these healthcare professionals provide. Both the Duchess of Cambridge and Princess Royal have highlighted this already in January. The Princess Royal has honored two midwives with their MBE and the Duchess of Cambridge wrote an open letter to nurses and midwives thanking them for their dedicated service.
Sophie went on to join young professionals at the Duke of Edinburgh awards for the Women's Network Forum at the London Stock Exchange. The Countess is Chair of the forum which she founded in 2014 which brings together a group of senior representatives across organizations to promote gender equality in the workplace.
The Countess heard from secondary students about their aspirations with the countess and mentors who were present. They also shared the steps they are taking now in order to achieve their goals long term. Sophie has long championed gender equality including workplace equity. The Countess is an ambassador for 100 Women in Finance which connects industry leaders with young professionals to show representation in the industry and encourage more girls to join finance. xx