Nurse receives OBE from Anne in 'surreal' ceremony

A nurse has spoken of how nervous she was ahead of a "surreal" ceremony where she received her OBE from the Princess Royal.

Ann-Marie Riley, chief nurse at the University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM), was recognised for her services to nursing leadership, inclusion and patient care in the New Year Honours.

She was described as an "inspirational" member of staff who made a significant impact on care at the Royal Stoke University Hospital and County Hospital, Stafford.

Following her recent investiture at St James's Palace, which she went to with her husband and two children, Riley said she was "remarkably nervous".

"I'm not normally someone who gets nervous - I can speak in front of national audiences - but I was," she added.

Riley said she and her family arrived at the palace at about 10:00 GMT, adding: "It was quite surreal.

"Everyone was there with their families, all looking incredibly proud and a bit in awe of where they were."

After being guided through a "series of waiting rooms", she was taken into the main hall where she met Princess Anne and received her medal.

"The Princess Royal was brilliant," Riley said. "She asked about my career, whether things had got harder or easier over the years, and about the impact of social media.

"It felt like it lasted about two seconds but it was probably around a minute and a half. It was a really lovely morning."

Riley joined UHNM as chief nurse in 2021 and had since played a key role in supporting their nursing and midwifery teams, the trust said.

"You only get these types of awards as a result of everybody you work with, whether that's clinical or non-clinical staff," Riley said.

"It's years of wonderful people working with you and you accept it on their behalf as much as your own."

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