Ruth May

Dame Ruth Rosemarie Beverley, (born 1 June 1967), known professionally as Ruth May, is a British nurse. From 2019 until 2024, she served as the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) for England and an executive/national director at NHS England and NHS Improvement where she was also the national director responsible for infection prevention and control.

Career May began her career with a variety of nursing roles before becoming a theatre sister at Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey. From April 2016 to 2019 she served as executive director of nursing at NHS Improvement. Her role came to public attention during the COVID-19 pandemic. On one occasion during its early stages, she was driven to call for an end to the abuse of nurses by patients.

She led the NHS's "Stop the Pressure" campaign, to reduce the incidence of pressure ulcers in hospital in-patients.

In July 2024, May stood down as Chief Nursing Officer, being replaced by her deputy Duncan Burton.

Honours and awards

May has received honorary doctorates from the Anglia Ruskin University in 2009, the University of Suffolk in 2016 and from Coventry University "for her contribution as a national leader of nursing" in 2019. She became a Fellow of the Queen's Nursing Institute in 2020.

She was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 2022 Birthday Honours for services to nursing, midwifery and the NHS.

Personal life She was born in Wales but has lived in Colchester, Essex for most of the 21st century

May is dyslexic, having only been diagnosed as an adult in 2018.