News and Events

Honorary award for Brigadier Jane Arigho

6 November 2009

Brigadier Jane Arigho (right) receiving award from Dame Yvonne Moores

Degree recognises the successful career of the UK’s leading military nurse

The former head of the UK’s military nursing organisation, Brigadier Jane Arigho CBE RRC, has received the honorary degree Doctor of Science from BU.

The degree was presented during award ceremonies to recognise graduates from the University’s School of Health & Social Care.

Dr Arigho is a perioperative nurse who has served with great distinction in the British Army’s medical services. After a series of increasingly senior posts in Army hospitals in the UK and overseas, and in the training of nurses, she became Director of Army Nursing Services in 1995.

Later, as Director Defence Nursing Services, she established the unified military nursing organisation which is celebrated for its life-saving work in many conflicts, including the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

Her distinguished service and notable successes have been highly honoured. She was awarded the Associate Royal Red Cross in 1987, and was advanced to the Royal Red Cross in 1995. This decoration, created by Queen Victoria in 1883, is awarded for exceptional services, devotion to duty and professional competence in British military nursing, and its first recipient was none other than Florence Nightingale.

On retirement Dr Arigho was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). In addition to these high distinctions, in 2005 Her Majesty The Queen appointed Dr Arigho as Colonel Commandant of the Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps.

This honorary role, akin to that of a non-executive director, brought her the great pleasure of working with senior nurses she had trained at Aldershot years earlier.

“I consider myself very fortunate to have achieved such success in my career,” Dr Arigho said. “You are honouring me for a career that was not my first choice but one that I wholly enjoy and would not miss for the world.

“Military nursing has seen many changes over recent years most notably in its operational role in support of our armed services,” she continued. “Nurses of all three services – the Royal Navy, Army and Air Force – many of whom I know and work with, have served in Iraq or are at present serving in Afghanistan with honour and distinction. They are doing a wonderful job and I am so proud of them.”

Dr Arigho received her award from BU Pro-Chancellor Dame Yvonne Moores, former Chief Nursing Officer for England.