The National Nurses Association (also known as the Association of Nurses) was a trades union for British nurses founded by

Thora Silverthorne Thora Silverthorne (1910–1999), also known as "Red Silverthorne", was a British Communist, healthcare activist, and a nanny for Somerville Hastings, and former president of the Socialist Medical Association (SMA). She is most known for her s ...

and Nancy Zinkin in 1937. It organised a campaign to highlight the poor pay and conditions of nurses with a protest march of 1000 nurses. Silverthorne was attacked by the

Royal College of Nursing The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is a registered trade union in the United Kingdom for those in the profession of nursing. It was founded in 1916, receiving its royal charter in 1928. Queen Elizabeth II was the patron until her death in 2022. ...

for “not being a registered nurse” or being “paid by Moscow”. The Association later joined the

National Union of Public Employees The National Union of Public Employees (NUPE) was a British trade union which existed between 1908 and 1993. It represented public sector workers in local government, the Health Service, universities, and water authorities. History The union ...

References

{{reflist Defunct trade unions of the United Kingdom Trade unions established in 1937 1937 establishments in the United Kingdom Nursing organisations in the United Kingdom