Our commitment to our LGBTQ+ colleagues at St Bartholomew’s Hospital, plus read Friday's newsletter in full
Medical director and executive sponsor of our LGBTQ+ network Edward Rowland calls on staff to complete this year's Stonewall Equality Index
I believe we all have pride in putting patient care and the experience of our workforce at the heart of what we do at St Bartholomew’s Hospital.
We have a wonderful workforce with diverse talents, cultures, beliefs and backgrounds. Valuing that diversity is a core commitment.
Creating an inclusive culture that values the insights and contributions of our LGBTQ+ colleagues not only fosters an environment for our staff to thrive, develop and provide the best care for patients, but ensures that we meet the needs of the local LGBTQ+ population across north east London too.
I would love all of my LGBTQ+ colleagues and their supporters to have their say about their experience of working at the hospital by completing this year’s Stonewall Workplace Equality Index.
By making your voice heard, we can also ensure that improvements are made which benefit the needs of our LGBTQ+ patients - whether that’s improving access to services or having a better understanding of specific health issues experienced by the local LGBTQ+ population.
Since we became a Stonewall Diversity Champion three years ago I know we’ve made some fantastic strides, including:
- launching the NHS Rainbow Badge scheme, which invites staff to make a £2 donation and sign a pledge for LGBTQ+ inclusion. All donations will support the Trust’s application for next year’s London Pride parade march.
- recruiting LGBTQ+ diversity champions to support patients, their loved ones and staff at the hospital. They also provide support to pre-registration students and raise awareness at staff inductions.
- rolling out training for LGBTQ+ and end of life care in line with our commitment to improve the way in which we deliver EoLC to patients with protected characteristics.
If you would like to find out more about upcoming teaching sessions, social events and regular meetings, please contact our LGBTQ staff network or our hospital site leads, Darren Barnes and Jason Morley-Smith. You can also visit their intranet page on WeShare.
Reaching Stonewall’s top 100 employers is part of Barts Health’s ambition and I’m excited to see how our performance improves when the results are published early next year.