Tracey Carter delivers inaugural lecture

05 December 2025 - Tracey recently became KCL Professor of Practice for Nursing

On Wednesday 3 December, Tracey Carter, Chief Nurse and Executive Director of Midwifery, delivered her inaugural lecture at King’s College London (KCL), following the announcement earlier in the year that she had been named Professor of Practice in the Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery and Palliative Care.

The honour was bestowed upon Tracey in recognition of her sustained achievements as a senior nurse in maintaining patient safety, upholding nursing and midwifery standards, and student education.

During her lecture, Tracey discussed generational leadership and how best to recognise and support this in healthcare leadership to ensure collaboration, innovation, autonomy and inclusivity. Tracey linked this to her career, and gave her reflections on becoming a Chief Nurse and Executive Director of Midwifery.

Tracey joined the Trust in June 2023 and her responsibilities include the professional leadership of our 6,000 nursing, midwifery, and allied health professional colleagues.

Tracey has over 30 years’ experience as a nurse and has held several senior positions before joining King’s, including Chief Nurse and Director of Infection Prevention and Control at West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, a role she held for nine years, and Deputy Chief Nurse at Barts Health.

Tracey has an MSc in advanced clinical practice and she undertook the Florence Nightingale/Windsor Leadership System leadership course. She is also a Trustee at Hertfordshire MIND.

In May 2019, Tracey received a Chief Nursing Officer award, and in 2020 she was appointed an MBE for her nursing leadership and services to the NHS.

Commenting on the professorship, Tracey said, “I’m honoured to be awarded a Professorship of Practice from King’s College London, and very much look forward to sharing my knowledge with nursing students to help bridge the gap between theoretical learning and hands-on experience. It is an honour to represent the profession in the pursuit of continued excellence in education and outcomes across King’s Health Partners, influencing the wider health and social care landscape.”

Professor Clive Kay, Chief Executive, added: “Congratulations again to Tracey, for both her excellent lecture yesterday, and for being made a Professor of Practice by KCL in the Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery and Palliative Care. Tracey is an excellent Chief Nurse and Executive Director of Midwifery here at King’s, but also someone who is widely respected in her field. She is also kind, humble, and a highly valued member of the Trust Board; and a key member of Team King’s.”