When sisters Meena and Razwana (Raz) Bashir started out as young nurses at Bradford Teaching Hospitals in 2003, they never imagined that eight more members of their extended family would follow in their footsteps and be inspired to join the NHS over the past two decades.
But that’s exactly what has happened for these two siblings as it turns out working at the city’s hospitals has evolved into a real family affair for them and their relatives.
Despite being five years apart in age, Clinical Site Matron Meena, 53, and younger sister, Renal Matron Raz, 49, started their nurse training together in 2000 at Bradford University.
Upon graduation in 2003, they joined the Trust, which operates both the Bradford Royal Infirmary (BRI) and St Luke’s Hospital, and have been working there ever since.
Raz Bashir
Raz explained: “We graduated together from Bradford University with nursing degrees which was a very proud day for our parents, started work together at Bradford Teaching Hospitals on the same day in 2003 – Meena as a staff nurse on one of the acute medical wards at the BRI and me as a renal nurse at St Luke’s – and became matrons together.
“We are the first generation to go into nursing in our family and we’ve been at the Trust for 22 years and we absolutely love our jobs.”
The intervening years have seen more extended family members join the Trust too who have been inspired to join the Trust after seeing the sisters’ dedication.
Meena Bashir
Meena stated: “I mainly work night shifts now as a clinical site matron who ensures the smooth running of a patient’s journey from admission to discharge from the trust’s command centre.
“I have worked for the NHS for 22 years and absolutely love my job. I’ve worked up to where I am now, I manage a big team but they aren’t just colleagues, they are more like family as we come together and live the values of our Trust.
“It’s a great place to work and it’s absolutely amazing working with my family. We bump into each other, have a coffee together now and then, but we work professionally together as we are colleagues first and foremost when we are working. We are all really proud to work for the NHS and for Bradford Teaching Hospitals.”
In recent years the pair have been joined by Meena’s two daughters, Aneeka Bashir, 30 and Chand Uzair, 26, who both work on the switchboard. Aneeka, a law graduate, works day shifts as a temporary switchboard operator and Chand, a student nurse, has worked part-time every weekend for the last eight years. She hopes to gain full-time employment with the Trust after she graduates in January 2026 but has yet to decide what specialty she wants to work in.
Aneeka Bashir
Aneeka said: “My mum encouraged me to join the trust as she’s worked here for a long time and absolutely loves working for the Trust so I heard about the job through my mum, went through the application process, was interviewed and was delighted to get the job.
Chand Uzair
Chand explained: “I was very poorly as a child with asthma and I used to spend time on the children’s ward. I was always having asthma attacks so was in hospital for two weeks at a time, so I witnessed at first-hand what the nurses did and they inspired me to give something back so I can’t wait to work at the Trust once I have graduated.”
From left, Raz and Meena Bashir
Meena and Raz’s cousin, Svara Razak, has worked at the Trust for nearly 15 years where she now is ward manager on the BRI’s elective surgical ward 11.
Svara Razak
She stated: “Meena, Raz and I are first cousins – our mums are sisters – so we have grown up together. I qualified in 2009 so nearly 15 years working at the Trust. My cousins, Meena and Raz have both supported me throughout my career, helping with interview techniques and advice regarding job development, and I am really grateful to be part of the NHS and the BRI. It’s reassuring to work with your family because you’ve always got support there. I look up to them and ask them for advice and guidance if I need it.”
Svara’s sister-in-law, Shamima Akhtar, is also a stroke responder nurse on ward 6’s stroke unit, having worked at the Trust for 25 years while Svara’s cousin, Emergency Department Nurse Practitioner, Nyla Hussain, works at the BRI having joined the trust in 2000.
Nyla Hussain
Two years ago, Meena and Raz were also joined by their sister-in-law, deputy general manager of anaesthetics, theatres and critical care, Noreen Rashid, who is married to their brother, Nawaz.
Noreen Rashid
Noreen’s daughter and Meena and Raz’s niece, Romessa Nawaz, also works as physician associate on ward 4 acute medical unit (AMU).
Romessa Nawaz
Romessa explained: “I’ve worked at the trust for almost seven years now and currently work on the acute medical unit. Meena and Raz are my aunties. I enjoy my job as it is fast-paced and no two days or two patients are the same. I am always developing my skills as a clinician. We are a tight knit team and it’s lovely to be part of a multi-disciplinary team, and overall it’s a nice environment to work in.”
Meena’s niece, Ward 9 Healthcare Assistant, Aminah Hussain, has also been working at the hospital for three years now.
Chief Executive, Professor Mel Pickup, said: “Since its inception there have been many instances where multiple family members have worked for the NHS or have a family history of working here in Bradford at one of our hospitals.
“It highlights how an organisation like ours can feel like a close-knit community, with family traditions of service, and how relatives and one family’s care within the NHS can span multiple generations.
“We thank the extended members of the Bashir family for their enduring kindness and compassion to our patients and we hope their service to Bradford Teaching Hospitals and the NHS continues for many decades to come.”
Watch their video here:
Or
Listen to Meena and Raz being interviewed by Professor Mel Pickup on ‘Mel’s Weekly Round-Up podcast’ this Friday, January 23, on the Trust’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/BTHFTBradfordTeachingHospitals