Stonewall, the pioneering LGBT rights organisation, has scored UHB in the top 100 employers in Britain in its 2019 Workplace Equality Index

The prestigious index is coveted by employers and staff as a symbol of the great work it does to help achieve acceptance without exception for all LGBT people.

In the past year, UHB has worked collaboratively with many partners such as Birmingham LGBT, the South Asian LGBT community and the University of Birmingham to raise awareness, coordinate dedicated events such as Umbrella at Birmingham Pride and the South Asian LGBT conference hosted at QEHB.

Activities also saw a further LGBT conference, the expansion of the Trust’s staff networks, the embedding of a dedicated policy to support trans people and inclusion training to improve the understanding of our LGBT staff and patients.

UHB also saw staff across all sites mark their support for the trans community during Trans Awareness Week.

Commenting on UHB’s position of 84th in the index, Chair of University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB), Rt. Hon. Jacqui Smith, said:

“I’m incredibly proud of UHB’s commitment to greater inclusivity and the strengthening of a truly equal Trust where our lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans colleagues feel welcomed, comfortable and free to be who they are.

“In the past year UHB has expanded its staff networks, embedded policies to support our trans colleagues and patients, marked and celebrated the achievements of the LGBT community, and demonstrated pledges to highlight and tackle the profound inequalities and challenges the community still faces.

“UHB will further this vital work in the coming years and will continue to engage with - and listen closely to - all voices across our workforce and our LGBT community. This will ensure UHB remains not only a fantastic place to work, but a place where you will feel supported and happy to simply be yourself.”

The Stonewall Top 100 Employers are the best performing employers on Stonewall‘s Workplace Equality Index 2019, an annual audit of workplace culture for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans staff.

445 organisations entered into the 2019 Index, across the public, private and third sectors, and last year only five NHS organisations made the top 100.

Antony Cobley, Head of Inclusion, Health and Wellbeing at UHB, said: “Breaking into the top 100 employers is a real testament to the work being done by colleagues across the Trust to change and improve the culture for not just LGBT staff, but everyone.

“We are truly delighted with our ranking which took lots of hard work by many dedicated colleagues who have delivered events, training sessions, raised awareness, pored over data and pulled together evidence of this Trust’s great inclusivity and diversity.

“That hard work has paid off, particularly if we take in to account UHB ranked only 336 two and a half years ago. This is fabulous achievement.”

Workforce Diversity and Inclusion Manager, Sally Lawson, said: “This is an extra special achievement for the new combined Trust and we plan to work tirelessly across the next year to see that we stay a safe, supporting and caring space for LGBT people to work and to be themselves.

“We are busy making plans for another packed year of activities and inclusion initiatives so maybe next time we may even reach the top 10!”