BME Staff Network
About the Network
Membership of the BME Network is primarily aimed at NHS Lothian employees from Black or Minority Ethnic backgrounds; however it is also open to any staff interested in helping to improve inclusion in NHS Lothian.
You can stay informed on the network's activities by joining our mailing list. To join the mailing list or find out more about the network please email loth.bmenetwork@nhs.scot.
NHS Lothian embraces the rich diversity found in all areas of the health board. This reflects a growing diversity in the population we serve. We are committed to eliminating discrimination and improving equality of opportunity; we know we have more work to do, and this is reflected in Corporate Objectives and associated workplans.
What does Black and Minority Ethnic mean?
Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) is the terminology normally used in the UK to describe people who are not from the majority white population. It can include people of African, Caribbean, Asian, Arab, First Nations/Indigenous (Australia/North and South America), or mixed descent, but also white minority ethnic groups such as Eastern Europeans and Gypsies, Roma and Travellers.
Our Meetings
Next wider group meeting
The next wider group meeting is Monday 24 February, 5-6.30pm. You can join the Teams meeting here or email the network inbox to be sent the meeting invitation.
Future wider group meetings:
Monday 19 May, 5-6.30pm
Monday 25 August, 5-6.30pm
Monday 24 November, 5-6.30pm
Atlantic slavery and the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh
In August 2021, NHS Lothian Charity funded a joint piece of work with NHS Lothian, contracting an independent researcher to review evidence in the Lothian Health Services Archive and other archives to bring together the documented history of the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh (est. 1729) and the enslavement of people of African descent. Click the link below for the executive summary of the research findings. To find out more about the results of the research and the recommendations from the advisory group, click here for the Atlantic Slavery and the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh page.
Uncovering Origins of Hospital Philanthropy executive summary.docx
NHS Lothian Transatlantic Slavery Recommendations Implementation Group
Members of NHS Lothian BME Staff Network are invited to express an interest in being one of the co-chairs of NHS Lothian Transatlantic Slavery Recommendations Implementation Group. We are also recruiting for members of the Implementation Group.
NHS Lothian and NHS Lothian Charity are joint descendants of the legacies of donations and endowments connected to the enslavement of people of African descent. The NHS Lothian Board has agreed to implement the Independent Advisory Group's recommendations to address the legacy of slavery, help remove racism and inequality and to shape a positive future for everyone. Implementing the recommendations are a fundamental part of our work to become an anti-racist organisation.
The Implementation Group will be a diverse group of staff and people from our local communities working to advise on and steer the delivery of the Independent Advisory Group's recommendations. It will have three co-chairs, who will work together to effectively lead the Implementation Group. A decision has been taken to have three co-chairs based on experience of what worked well in the Advisory Group. We will appoint two co-chairs from the NHS Lothian BME Staff Network and one from NHS Lothian Board Non-Executive members.
The co-chairs will work with the Equality & Human Rights Team to decide on the arrangements and business of the Implementation Group meetings and on the content of reports to the Corporate Management Team and any other outputs from the Group. Each co-chair will share responsibility for chairing meetings of the Implementation Group.
Please contact Laura Hutchison & Rakiya Suleiman to express an interest in being a member of the Implementation Group, or if you have any questions.
We also wanted to ensure you're aware that we have published our new training video - Understanding Racism on NHS Lothian website. This is part of our continuing work to create an inclusive culture for the people who use our services and work for us. The video is available on NHS Lothian equality and human rights webpages and NHS Lothian staff equality and human rights education website (including a facilitator's guide).