Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust (BSUH) have reached the top 20% of the annual Stonewall Workplace Equality Index (WEI), recognising their progress towards creating true equality for all LGBTQ+ staff and patients.
At the same time, trust staff are also celebrating winning the Stonewall South East LGBT Network Group of the Year award.
Dr George Findlay, Managing Director, BSUH said: “I’m very proud of what we have achieved in this year’s Workplace Equality Index. We have clearly built on everything accomplished last year, substantially moving up the Index. To win ‘Regional Network of the Year’ at the same time is a double celebration for all of us. At the heart of our culture is a workplace where everyone can be themselves, and our LGBTQ+ Network is on the frontlines of supporting the trust in this journey.”
The trust re-entered the WEI in 2019 and ranked at 143, an ‘exceptional’ result for a returning organisation according to Stonewall.
Building on that success and learning from feedback, the trust embarked on an ambitious activity programme to further improve care for LGBTQ+ staff and patients. This included:
• Celebrating diversity through the #BelongHere recruitment campaign
• Developing an LGBTQ+ Healthcare seminar series for staff and students
• Launching a mentoring scheme aimed at LGBTQ+ staff
• Creating an LGBTQ+ Inclusion Conference for staff and healthcare partners
• Attending all three Pride events in Brighton
• Continually growing their LGBTQ+ Network
Nick Groves, Convenor for the BSUH LGBTQ+ Network and Associate Director for the 3Ts Service Modernisation programme, said: “I’m overjoyed at this double celebration, as are the hundreds of colleagues in the BSUH LGBTQ+ Network. We have support at every level of BSUH. Visitors to the trust are always impressed by the number of staff wearing rainbow lanyards or pins, as well as the number of educational initiatives and social events organised. There is always more to do, but these achievements show we are moving in the right direction.”
Speaking about the Regional Network of the Year award, Yassine Senghor, Client Account Manager South East Region, Stonewall, said: “We were particularly impressed by the range of events that you host, including seminars and social events that take into account the varying needs of members of the community in an inclusive way. Your network group is active, engaged and continues to push the wider organisation to make LGBT inclusion a priority. Well done! The trust takes its position as a key employer in Brighton and the South East seriously and ensures that its staff reflects the diverse communities it serves. It continues to rise in the ranks of the Workplace Equality Index and is one of the leaders in LGBT inclusion in both the region and sector.”
BSUH is now ranked 101 in the Stonewall WEI, out of 503 entrants. The trust climbed 42 places since 2019 when it ranked 143 out of 445 entrants.
To find out more about BSUH’s LGBTQ+ Network, please visit their dedicated webpage www.bsuh.nhs.uk/lgbtq or follow them on Twitter: www.twitter.com/bsuh_lgbtq.
