Overview

Equality, diversity and inclusion

Promoting diversity, equality, accessibility and inclusion plays an essential part in everything we do for our patients and making our trust a great place to work.

Reflecting our communities

We serve a range of diverse local communities, especially in Lambeth and Southwark. This diversity is reflected in the profile of our patients and workforce, and brings many benefits.

We promote all aspects of diversity, access and inclusion and are widely recognised for our achievements.

  • In 2021, we received an award from an NHS England scheme rating trusts on their LGBT+ inclusivity and commitment to supporting LGBT+ patients and staff.
  • In 2019, we launched the NHS Rainbow Badge as a way to show that we're an open, non-judgemental and inclusive place for LGBT+ people. The scheme has since been adopted by more than 150 NHS trusts in England.
  • Our widening access to employment and skills strategy has won a number of awards, helping homeless people and those with disabilities into jobs.
  • We run active apprenticeship schemes across a wide range of areas including hospitality, Healthcare Science and clinical apprenticeships such as Nursing Associates.
  • We currently have over 540 apprentices and aim to offer up to 350 new starts per year.

We recognise that we can do even better. We continue to focus on staff experience, aiming to reduce inequalities for our diverse workforce and patient population, and to improve patient care.

Share your experiences

We're always keen to hear about your experience of using our services. If you (or your carer, partner or family member) would like to share with us your positive story or tell us how we can improve regarding equality, diversity and inclusion, please get in touch by emailing [email protected].

Help us to develop our future plan on supporting people with autism. We want to hear from people on the whole autism spectrum including:

  • those needing 24 hours care
  • those who are mostly independent
  • children
  • adults
  • autistic people with and without learning disabilities
  • carers and family members

Tell us what you think about Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital by filling in our autusim strategy survey on SurveyMonkey. This helps us provide a better service to you. 

Staff networks

One way we engage with our staff and their experience is through staff networks. Supported by our equality and diversity team, the networks focus on improving services and delivering better outcomes for staff and patients.

Key issues addressed include making sure we have fair and transparent processes, providing supportive and flexible working arrangements, improving diversity at all levels, tackling harassment and discrimination and developing the skills and talents of all our staff.

We have a number of established staff networks.

About 40% of our staff are from black, asian and minority ethnic groups. They serve an equally diverse population. Networks are seen as vehicles for professional development, achieving culture change and disseminating practical ways of managing diversity to the benefit of our staff, patients and the organisation.

These networks help raise the profile of staff with a disability and provide advice and guidance, in a confidential and safe environment. The networks look at improving and developing the following:

  • support for managers in making reasonable adjustments
  • support for staff with dyslexia, a hidden disability affecting around 10% of the population
  • progress towards the Workforce Disability Equality Standard

The aim of the Trust's LGBT+ staff network is to support LGBT+ staff through strategic initiatives, social events and education, as well as providing advice and guidance in a confidential and safe environment.

Email [email protected] for further information or to get involved in the network.

You can also follow @GSTTlgbt on Twitter.

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