Grace Margery Westbrook

Grace Margery Westbrook (13 July 1910 – 30 May 1999) , was the first practising nurse to be elected Chair of the Staff Side of the Nurses and Midwives Whitley Council.

Early life and education Westbrook was born on 13 July 1910 in Rotherham where her father was a pharmacist, and she worked as his assistant until she began nurse training. She then took a lateral move to become sister tutor at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital from 1953-1955 and was Chair of the RCN Establishment and General Purposes Committee.

She represented the RCN at a number of events and committees such as the Society of Registered Male Nurses Annual Conference in 1957 and was the RCN representative, Regional Council for Further Education for the South West.

Westbrook went on to represent the RCN as a member of the Committee that published the Salmon Report on Senior Nursing Staff Structure in 1966. One of the impacts of the Salmon Report was the abolition of the term Matron and later, her retirement made her the last matron of Southmead Hospital, Bristol.

Administrative roles In 1967 Westbrook was appointed to the newly created National Nursing Staff Committee which arose out of the Salmon Report. This government committee was to advise on management training for nurses and midwives. She was reappointed as Vice-Chair in 1969. She was Chair of the selection and appointment working party in 1968.

Westbrook was the first practising nurse to be elected Chair of the Staff Side Committee, Nurses and Midwives Whitley Council 1963-1969.

Westbrook was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1970.

She died in Almondsbury, Gloucestershire 30 May 1999.