Emma Rogers: Continuing the Legacy of Hello My Name Is

Last month, the Yorkshire Ladies Links Hello My Name Is Charity Lunch and Business Showcase was once again filled with inspiration, connection, and heartfelt stories that stayed with everyone who attended.

Emma Rogers shared her powerful connection to the Hello My Name Is campaign, a movement that has clearly shaped both her professional journey and her personal outlook.

Emma, a dynamic and compassionate senior nursing leader, brought over 20 years of nursing experience to her talk, including more than a decade in senior leadership roles.

Since qualifying as a registered nurse in 2004, she has built a strong record in delivering strategic, operational, and clinical leadership within high-performing NHS Trusts. As Deputy Chief Nurse at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Emma shared her insights into patient safety, quality improvement, and the importance of human connection in healthcare. She reminded everyone that the Hello My Name Is campaign was never just about professional practice; for her, it was deeply personal.

Through her own experiences, both as a nurse and as a loved one at a patient’s bedside, Emma spoke about the simple but profound power of a staff member taking a moment to introduce themselves. That small act of kindness, she said, could transform fear into comfort and restore dignity and compassion at some of life’s most difficult moments.

Emma’s story reminded us all that the campaign was not about etiquette but about presence, respect, and humanity, a belief that every person deserves to be seen, acknowledged, and cared for as an individual.

She reflected on 2023, when her grandmother was living in a care home. She noticed that staff rarely introduced themselves to residents, perhaps assuming it didn’t matter because many were living with dementia or age-related conditions. But, as Emma passionately explained, it does matter. Even the simplest introduction can help someone feel safe, recognised, and valued, regardless of memory, illness, or age.

Emma first became actively involved in the Hello My Name Is campaign in 2016 while working at Stockport NHS Foundation Trust. At that time, Chris Pointon was travelling the country to continue Kate Granger’s legacy, and Emma reached out to collaborate. Together with her colleagues, she helped launch the campaign across the organisation, creating staff videos, introducing personalised name badges, and installing “What matters to me” boards beside patients’ beds.

When she moved to Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust as Associate Chief Nurse, Emma introduced the campaign there too. She developed the Kate Granger Star Awards, inspired staff pledges, and worked alongside the True Colours network to embed inclusion, kindness, and respect into everyday care.

Now in Leeds, Emma has relaunched the campaign once more with a renewed focus on compassionate communication. Her initiatives have included Makaton and BSL staff videos, translated resources in multiple languages, and embedding the campaign’s principles into induction programmes and accreditation frameworks.

Across three NHS Trusts, Emma has woven the Hello My Name Is campaign into the fabric of her career. Each year, she joins colleagues, patients, and partners in celebrating Hello, My Name Is week, championing compassion and connection across the healthcare community.

Emma shared how proud she felt to serve as an ambassador for the campaign, reflecting nine years of dedicated work promoting respectful communication and person-centred care. Her message resonated deeply, that meaningful change in healthcare begins with something as simple and as powerful as an introduction.

Emma’s talk was a moving tribute to Kate Granger’s legacy and a timely reminder that kindness begins with connection, and connection begins with a name.

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