As a Nurse the Politics of Health and Social Justice surrounded Ann Lloyd Keen daily, especially in the deprived district she nursed, observing so many inequalities in health provision, housing, employment opportunities and income, especially with frail older patients. This led to Ann agreeing for her name to go forward to be elected to the UK Parliament in 1997.
Ann became the first Community Nurse elected to the UK Parliament. Her nursing and health experience was immediately used, and she gained a position on the Health Select Committee and continued to campaign for a minimum wage to be part of UK legislation.
Later appointed to be Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown. When Gordon became Prime Minister, he appointed Ann to be Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Health Services. The first Nurse ever to be a UK Government Minister 2007-2010.
Gordon Brown asked Ann to chair a commission on Future of Nursing and Midwifery first overriding evidence since 1976 Lord Asa Briggs. Commonly known as “The Briggs Report Front Line Care” completed in 2010 but sadly never implemented. Ann remains passionate about nurse education and the political knowledge of tomorrow’s nurse and all Professions Allied to Health, and will always make time to contribute to teaching and mentoring of students for undergraduate to doctoral level.
Ann is a Fellow of the Queen’s Institute of Community Nursing, Fellow of the Royal College of Nursing, and Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. She is a Visiting Professor: Politics Health Inequalities at the University of East London.
Ann is also an Advisor to Essential Parent regarding School Nurses, and Advisor to Life Science Industrial Strategy on Workforce for New Government. She is Non-Executive Director for Caradon Housing Foundation, and Former Chair of the Patients Association 2023-2024.
Ann is a fan of Football (Liverpool), Theatre, American Politics, and Soaps (lifelong Coronation Street Fan!). Ann has completed a half Marathon for Breast Cancer Care.
All Fellows