Honouring the 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award winner at the National B.A.M.E Health & Care Awards.
There are people in healthcare who not only do the work—they change the landscape. Michelle Cox is one of them.
At the 2024 National B.A.M.E. Health & Care Awards, Michelle was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award for her unwavering commitment to challenging racism, championing equity, and creating inclusive systems that truly serve everyone.
Her impact spans decades, but one landmark moment stands out: her courageous legal battle against racial discrimination during her time as a Continuing Healthcare Manager in the NHSE North West Region. After years of marginalisation and exclusion, Michelle made the difficult decision to take her employer to tribunal. The result? A history-making victory that set a legal precedent—one that has since helped pave the way for others facing similar injustices.
But Michelle’s legacy goes far beyond that case.
“Receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award at the National B.A.M.E. Health & Care Awards was one of the most humbling moments of my career,” she said. “It wasn’t just a personal recognition—it was a tribute to every barrier broken, every voice uplifted, and every injustice challenged along the way.”
For over 30 years, Michelle has worked across health and care to challenge systemic racism, promote equity, and make space for others—especially those too often overlooked or silenced. As she puts it: “The road hasn’t been easy. There were moments of isolation, resistance, and risk, but I stood firm in the belief that change is not only necessary—it is possible.”
And she continues to push that change forward. In 2023, the Michelle Cox Anti-Racism Awards were launched in partnership with the Royal College of Nursing Foundation—cementing her contribution to the fight for equity in a powerful and permanent way.
Michelle’s work is not performative. It’s principled. She leads not just by example, but by impact—helping others to speak out, stay resilient, and take action.
“This award reminds me that speaking out, lifting others, and staying true to our values leaves a legacy that others can build on. My hope is that this recognition not only honours the past but ignites a future where inclusion is not the exception but the norm. If my story inspires even one person to stand up, speak out, and lead with purpose, that’s my legacy to nursing.”
Her words carry the kind of power that lingers—because they speak to what many feel but few say aloud. That real change is hard. That it often comes with sacrifice. But that it matters deeply.
We are proud to have celebrated Michelle Cox at the 2024 National B.A.M.E Health & Care Awards—and prouder still to carry forward the change her work makes possible.
Nominations are open for the 2025 National B.A.M.E Health & Care Awards.
Let’s honour the changemakers shaping the future of equitable health and care.
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