Background: Chief Nursing Officer and Chief Midwifery Officer Black and Minority Ethnic Strategic Advisory Group (CNO/CMidO BME SAG)

The Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) and Chief Midwifery Officer (CMidO) Black and Minority Ethnic Strategic Advisory Group (BME SAG) was established in 2001 by Dr Nola Ishmael OBE under the leadership of the then Chief Nursing Officer for England, Dame Sarah Mullally, to provide strategic advice and guidance on issues affecting Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) nurses and the communities they serve across the NHS.
Recognising the importance of representation, equity, and inclusion within the healthcare workforce, the Group was created to ensure that the voices and experiences of BME nurses informed national policy, workforce development, and patient care improvements. Over the years, the SAG has played a pivotal role in highlighting workforce inequalities, influencing policy discussions, and championing initiatives to improve opportunities and outcomes for BME staff.
In 2020, the remit of the Group expanded to include midwifery leadership, becoming the CNO/CMidO BME Strategic Advisory Group. This reflected a growing recognition of the need to address inequalities and improve representation across both the nursing and midwifery professions. The Group subsequently evolved into a regional-national model, working closely with Chief Nurses and Chief Midwives across NHS England regions to provide local intelligence, targeted support, and strategic advice on workforce and patient equity issues.
This regional-national approach enables the SAG to identify and respond to local challenges while influencing system-wide improvements, creating a powerful mechanism for sharing best practice, driving innovation, and supporting meaningful change across the NHS.
At its core, the SAG serves as a platform for amplifying the voices of Black and Minority Ethnic nurses and midwives, ensuring that their experiences, perspectives, and expertise contribute to shaping policy and practice. The Group’s work is underpinned by four key strategic objectives:

Reducing inequalities and disparities affecting BME staff and patients.
Promoting representation and inclusion at all levels of leadership and decision-making.
Developing and supporting senior BME leaders across nursing and midwifery.
Nurturing and inspiring future healthcare leaders through talent development, mentoring, and leadership opportunities.

The SAG also works collaboratively with national healthcare organisations, professional bodies, regulators, and other key stakeholders, providing consultation, insight, and challenge to support systemic change. Through these partnerships, the Group continues to influence policies and programmes that improve workforce experience, patient outcomes, and leadership diversity across the health and care system.
For more than two decades, the CNO/CMidO BME SAG has remained a respected and influential voice within the NHS, championing equity, inclusion, and excellence while supporting the development of a more diverse, representative, and inclusive nursing and midwifery workforce.