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OBE for Cynthia Atwell, former Senior Teaching Fellow

Mrs Cynthia Atwell RN RSCPHN (OH), Cert Ed Hon FFOM (former Senior Teaching Fellow in Occupational Health, University of Warwick)


Mrs Cynthia Atwell. Chair, Royal College of Nursing Society of Occupational Health Nursing has been awarded an OBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List 2008 for services to Healthcare. Cynthia retired as a Senior Teaching Fellow in Occupational Health from University of Warwick in December 2007. Despite her retirement, Cynthia continues to work within our faculty as a visiting lecturer teaching on both the undergraduate diploma in occupational health and the new postgraduate diploma in regulatory occupational health and safety for HSE Inspectors 

Cynthia Atwell OBEBackground


Cynthia is a self-employed OH Consultant, with over 30 years experience in OH Practice. In 2001 she set up the Diploma in OH course here at Warwick and took an active role in the development and delivery of all modules prior to her retirement.

Her previous post was Head of Nursing BUPA Occupational Health (previously Chief Nursing Adviser British Rail OH Service). She has wide experience in a variety of organisations including Heavy Engineering, Food and Agriculture, NHS, Local Government and Rail Industry, she has also taught OH for a number of years, including running the OHN Cert course at the RCN Birmingham in the early 1980’s.

1996 – 1998 Cynthia was a Member of the Health and Safety Commission (HSC), the first (and as yet the only) OH nurse to be appointed to the Commission.

She has contributed to a number of publications, was the Editor of the Gee OH Management Newsletter for a number of years and was a member of the Occupational Health Journal’s Editorial Panel.

Cynthia is Chair of the RCN Society of Occupational Health Nursing Steering Committee. She is a member of the RCN OH Managers Forum; an Honorary life member of the Association of OH Nurse Practitioners (AOHNP UK), and a member of the British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS). She also sits on the Engineering Employers Federation (EEF) Occupational Health Advisory Committee and the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) Occupational Health and Safety Policy committee.

In May 2006 Cynthia was elected as an Honorary Fellow of the Faculty of Occupation Medicine (Hon. FFOM). And more recently, has been awarded the great honour of RCN Fellow.