Published on: 19 March 2019
Trust Chief Executive Ifti Majid (pictured) has been named as the co-chair of a new network which aims to strengthen the voice of BME leaders in England and support health and care organisations to meet the needs of all communities.
The NHS Confederation, which represents organisations from across the health service, has set up the network to help leaders address the barriers to delivering the NHS Constitution’s commitment to meet the needs of all our communities.
Co-chair with Ifti is Danielle Oum, chair of Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust.
'Better care for all'
The new network will offer opportunity and space for BME leaders, including chief executives and non-executives to come together to:
- Improve understanding of equality, diversity and inclusion and publish the benefits to help deliver better care for all
- Improve and sustain the number of BME leaders working in the NHS
- Profile the diverse range of BME leaders delivering solutions across the health and care system.
The BME Leadership Network will work with front-line leaders and those at national level to help the NHS become the diverse and inclusive service it aspires to be. The network will be a prominent voice on equality, diversity and inclusion issues and will publish a range of reports and other activities. The first report, to be published in April, will examine falling diversity among chair and non-executive roles on the Boards of NHS organisations.
NHS Confederation chief executive Niall Dickson said: “A diversity leadership is not an optional extra, it is essential for the future of the NHS. For too long we have had fine rhetoric but too little action – and it has to start at the top. That is what the BME Leadership Network will set out to deliver.”
