Steph Lawrence

Steph has been a nurse for more than 39 years with the last 26 years spent working in the community. She is both an adult and children's trained general nurse as well as being a very proud District Nurse. She was until her retirement at the end of August 2024 the Chief Nurse at Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust. She also spent 3 years working at the CQC as the National Professional Adviser for Community Services.

She led the national trailblazer group for the District Nurse Apprenticeship standard which is now being delivered in many English universities.

She also co-chaired the Clinical Reference Group for the National Community Nursing plan for several years in England.

She was recognised in the Queens 2022 Jubilee Birthday Honours and received an MBE for services to District Nursing.

In July 2026 she received an honorary doctorate from Leeds Beckett University recognising her impact on District and community nursing.

Whilst retired from the NHS she has taken up a new role with the Queens Institute of Community Nursing and became the Chief Executive in July 2025. As a Queens Nurse and Fellow of the QNI this is a great opportunity to continue to shape community nursing and ensure the community nursing voice is heard at all levels.