The Institute of Health Visiting is delighted that Professor Viv Bennett has been made a Companion of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2016 New Year Honours list – in recognition of her services to nursing.  Viv is a very worthy recipient of the CBE. Viv, a health visitor, founding Fellow of the iHV, and now Chief Nurse at Public Health England was previously at the Department of Health.  There she led and delivered the government’s policy to increase the number of health visitors by over 4000 over the parliament.  Not only that, she also introduced an extensive programme of modernisation and training into the existing workforce.  She is now leading on children’s and family public health for Public Health England.

Professor Viv Bennett addressing the iHV Fellows

We were also delighted to hear of the CBE awarded to Professor Karen Luker for services to nursing and midwifery.  Karen, also a health visitor, has lately been Dean of School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work at Manchester University.  She  is shortly to launch a 4th edition of her health visiting book: ‘Health Visiting: Preparation for Practice’.