The Mary Seacole scholarship awards remain ‘fit for purpose’ and are achieving their intended goals, a review by the Department of Health has concluded.

Phase one of the review was commissioned by chief nursing officer Christine Beasley and used a random sample of six of 15 awardholders between  2004 and 2008. The award holders were interviewed along with three members of a steering group and four managers of six of the award holders.

The main findings of the review showedthat the awards were enhancing the development of future leaders in the NHS and improving black and minority ethnic patient experience. It also highlighted that they felt privileged to receive the accolade and had developed greater self-belief and raised their own profiles as well as their organisations’ profiles.

Awarded to midwives, nurses and health visitors, the Mary Seacole development and leadership awards have been running for 15 years. The awards have enabled winners to showcase their talent and develop innovative leadership skills by improving patient safety, the patient’s experience and clinical effectiveness in practice and service delivery.

Christine said: ‘This review of the Mary Seacole scholarship awards provides a robust evaluation and correlates the contribution of this award with the development of senior midwives, nurses and health visitor leaders who have participated as Mary Seacole scholars. This review provides the Department of Health with information to ensure that the programme remains fit for purpose 15 years on, in light of the current climate of health reforms and changes within equality legislation.’