Black History Month: Nurse invited to meet Zimbabwe's Health Secretary

Zimbabwe-born nurse from Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust is to meet the nation’s Health Secretary as she develops a project to support the state’s healthcare system.

Practice Development Lead Nurse Lucia Vambe will hold talks with Obediah Moyo on Friday as the Trust celebrates her Zimbabwe Life Project and the achievements of her African and African-Caribbean colleagues to mark Black History Month.

Mobolaji Lewis, the Trust’s Head of Physiotherapy (Mental Health), whose leadership has been recognised by the Nigerian Healthcare Professionals UK, and Senior Community Mental Health Nurse Dairo Olusegun, who has completed the national Florence Nightingale Windrush 70 Leadership Programme, are among those sharing the spotlight.

The Trust is keen to celebrate their success to raise awareness among staff, patients, partners and the public of black staff’s work throughout its mental health, community and specialist services.

Managers are also keen to inspire more of EPUT’s African and African-Caribbean staff to take advantage of work and training opportunities open to them across the Trust’s area, which includes Essex, Suffolk, Bedfordshire and Luton.

Sean Leahy, Executive Director of People and Culture, said: “Black and minority ethnic staff have been a critical part of the NHS workforce for many years and account for almost a quarter of our workforce. It’s clear that our African and African-Caribbean employees make a vital contribution to our services.

“We want to mark Black History Month by celebrating their work and achievements to show how much we value them and to demonstrate our commitment to doing all we can to improve their experience and provide them with fulfilling careers.”

Among the other black staff whose work is being celebrated by the Trust are senior psychologist Sharon Akinkunmi, who as EPUT’s Black and Minority Ethnic Network Chair and Workforce Race Equality Standards Expert is playing a key role improving the work and training environment for the Trust’s black and minority ethnic staff.

The Trust is using its Twitter and Facebook platforms - @EPUTNHS – to mark Black History Month. It is copying in @bhmUK and using hashtags including #BlackHistoryMonth, #BlackHistoryMonth2019 and #bhm.