Karen Bonner

Karen Bonner is the chief nurse and director of infection prevention and control at Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust. She holds a diploma, a BSc(Hons) in nursing and an MSc in advanced practice leadership from King’s College London. She is a graduate of the NHS Leadership Academy senior leaders and Nye Bevan programme and of the Leadership College for Government deputy chief executive officer accelerated programme.

From 2017 until 2021 Ms Bonner was a member of the NHS Workforce Race Equality Standard strategic advisory group and was highly commended by the Nursing Times in 2019 for her work in diversity and inclusion. She was recognised by the Health Service Journal in 2021 and 2022 as one of the 50 most influential Black, Asian and minority ethnic people in health and one of the top 10 in 2023. To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the NHS, Nursing Times recognised her as one of the 75 nurses who have positively shaped the NHS over the past 75 years.

Ms Bonner is a member of the general advisory council at the King’s Fund. She works with Prostate Cancer UK to educate and raise awareness of the disease. She is also a trustee at Helpforce, which seeks to bolster volunteering in health and social care, and in 2022 her work saw her recognised as a Burdett hero by the Burdett Trust for Nursing. She is also a member of the nurse executive council at the Beryl Institute, whose work establishes a global community of practice on improving the patient experience.