On the passing of the Queen - a joint statement from our Chair and Chief Executive

A joint statement from our Chief Executive, Dr Sara Munro, and our Chair, Dr Sue Proctor, on the sad passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Our society was shaken on Thursday 8 September by the news of the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

We were both terribly saddened, as we know many of you will be too, to learn of The Queen’s death. She had been a constant throughout most of our lives, and most of us will have known no other monarch than her.

The Queen dedicated her life to public service and was a regular visitor to NHS front line services. She awarded all 1.2 million NHS staff the George Cross earlier this year for their compassion and courage over the last 74 years, but particularly during the pandemic.

From today we enter into ten days of official mourning, culminating in a full state funeral which may be declared as a public holiday. During this time, please continue to check the Royal Family’s website and the government website as the primary sources of information about official mourning and funeral arrangements.

We are encouraging our staff to express their condolences in whatever way they feel appropriate. Colleagues are encouraged to open their own books of condolence for staff and service users who wish to formally record their reflections. There will be opportunities to sign books of condolence at various Town Halls and other locations throughout the UK – please check with your Local Authority about where these are. You can also send your condolence messages to the Royal Family directly via their website.

We now think about The Queen’s children, grandchildren and great grandchildren who will be coming to terms with the loss of possibly the greatest matriarch anyone could have known. Our heartfelt condolences are with them at this time.

Sara & Sue