Catherine M. Hall
Dame Catherine Mary Hall, DBE, FRCN (born 19 December 1922, Sheffield, England, UK — died 26 August 1996) was a British nurse and nursing administrator who served as the third General Secretary of the UK's Royal College of Nursing (1957–82).
Hall began her career as a ward sister at Leeds General Infirmary, later rising to Night Superintendent and Assistant Matron. In 1954, she was appointed to the position of Assistant Matron at Middlesex Hospital, London. In 1960, Hall supported lifting the constitutional ban on male nurses joining the RCN.
Four years later she publicly criticised as too small a proposed 2.5% salary hike for nurses although she opposed the notion of striking, although some nurses did go on strike, which caused the Conservative Minister of Health (Enoch Powell) to complain about the "controversy which [has] caused widespread embarrassment", which she rebutted, defending the nurses. She also had difficulties with Labour governments, commenting at one point to then-Secretary of State Barbara Castle's proposals: "Secretary ... if you do that, I can guarantee that you will not have a single nurse left in the NHS."[1]
In 1977, the RCN registered as a trade union. It eventually grew to be the largest single union outside the Trades Union Congress.
Career
- Assistant Matron, Middlesex Hospital, London (1954–56)
- General Secretary, Royal College of Nursing (1957–82)
- Member, Commission on Industrial Relations (1971–74)
- Member, General Medical Council (1979–89)
- Chairman, UK Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting (1980–85)
Honours
- CBE, 1967
- DBE, 1982
- FRCN 1976