LGBTQIA+ Staff Network Chair reflects on his time in office | Latest news

As thousands take to the streets to mark Nottinghamshire Pride, NUH’s LGBTQIA+ Staff Network Chair Simon Deery reflects on his time in office and outlines his hopes for the future.

Simon, a registrar in sexual health and HIV medicine, said: “I’ve worked here for years and I’ve never been the victim of discrimination or harassment. I realised that that was a very privileged position to be in and that not everyone in our organisation has that experience. As Chair, I hoped I could make sure that as many people in Team NUH as possible did have that experience. Have I achieved that? I’d like to think I’ve had a positive influence - I don’t necessarily think the work is done.”

Simon and his network colleagues have actively contributed to NUH policies and decisions.

“The work with the Trust leadership has been really positive. There is a real air of motivation and change from the top down, and a real desire to make NUH the best place in the country to work, a safe place, so no one should come to work in fear of harassment, bullying or discrimination.

“Issues around gender identity and sexual orientation have always been a consideration when the Trust has been developing bullying and harassment policies and considering EDI – I’ve always had a seat at the table for those discussions – and that is really important.

Not every NHS Trust has staff networks, which can help employees feel represented and listened to.

“Our network is respected and listened to by Trust leadership. When I bring them problems, they might not be able to do what I want immediately, but I do feel listened to and there is always a spirit of compromise and trying to find a solution.

“Healthcare has a unique experience of gender identity and sexual orientation. If you are a LGBT+ healthcare worker you have to continually come out in a way that you don’t in other work settings. If you worked in an office, you tell a dozen people you are what you are and that’s it. But in healthcare, you work with different teams every day, different parts of the hospital, patients are different day-by-day or hour-by-hour - you have to continually come out and that might have psychological stress or burden for some people. People might not always feel empowered to be their honest true selves at work because of this.”

And the best bit about the past 18 months? “Getting to witness and meet the whole rainbow of Team NUH – and being able to help those colleagues that have approached me one-to-one. The only people who know what is happening on the ward day to day is the shop floor staff – and those one-to-one conversations have been the most rewarding and the most powerful.”

Simon believes NUH has the potential to be a LGBTQIA+ trailblazer; for example, HR is doing a lot of positive work around the ESR and EDI data

“How NHS computer systems capture data around gender and sexual orientation – we need this to improve the healthcare experience for everyone. If we don’t accurately capture the diversity of our patients or staff, we don’t know what the problems are. Get to know your patients and staff properly – then you can start to solve the problems.

“I know this organisation and I need to believe in it – and there is no reason why we shouldn’t be the national trailblazer when it comes to being an inclusive organisation. Just because we’ve got stuff wrong in the past doesn’t mean we can’t strive to be the best tomorrow.”

For details about the Chair, email: lgbtqia+@nuh.nhs.uk