Joy Godden, director of nursing and governance at Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals before retiring in December 2021, has been honoured for her contributions to the NHS by receiving the Chief Nursing Officer for England Silver award, by Duncan Burton, deputy chief nursing officer for England.
Joy was presented with the prestigious award, which recognises major contributions to patients and the profession, at the annual Guy’s and St Thomas’ Nursing and Midwifery Awards.
Joy first started nursing 42 years ago. She trained at Guy’s Hospital, working there and at Kings College hospital as a staff nurse before moving to Royal Brompton to complete the cardiothoracic specialist course. She returned to Guys as a ward sister, moving back to the Brompton in the mid-1990’s where she undertook a variety of roles including matron, theatre manager, clinical planner and general manager before becoming the director of nursing clinical governance in 2015. Joy spent over 25 years at Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals. 
Commenting on her accolade Joy said: “Being a nurse is special. And its special because of the opportunities you have to work alongside so many patients and those that care for them. And that’s a real privilege. But nursing is also special because of the people you work with and the teams that you build. That’s what makes it really special. My thanks goes to all of the colleagues that I have worked with over so many years.”
Avey Bhatia, chief nurse for Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, said: “It was wonderful to see Joy receive this very prestigious award. Joy’s dedication and commitment to nursing has spanned four decades – she has made profound contributions to patients, staff and the entire nursing profession and leaves a remarkable legacy. It was a pleasure to work with her.”