DiversityQ is pleased to present this year’s hand-picked finalists of The National BAME Health & Care Awards – British health and care professionals who are making a difference in our lives.
A big congratulations to these health professionals who are helping to develop BAME careers and build better health care initiatives for their communities. Their work is making a real impact on diversity and inclusion in health care.
Why is this so important? As we discussed in a previous article about the challenges of BAMEs at work, healthcare workers have always faced a pressured work environment. In addition to a hostile space, Black employees face discrimination in the workplace.
It is also more complicated for BAME professionals to advance in their careers. According It is also more complicated for BAME professionals to advance in their careers. According to a UK government report on ethnicity facts and figures, barriers to career progression for BAME groups in the health sector, remain a problem with the statistics, showing senior doctors are more likely to be White (56.2%). The same government figures reveal that among non-medical staff, ethnic minorities are more likely to be in support and mid-level positions than in management positions.
Lack of career progression
The National BAME Health & Care Awards is a positive response to harassment, bullying, lack of career progression and the absence of targeted interventions to help BAME talent reach new heights in the sector.
Some in the profession have risen to the challenge. For example, Rakiya Suleiman, Equality and Diversity Adviser, NHS Lothian, shares the strategies she put in place to break through the glass ceiling she felt within the National Health Service.
With COVID-19, we also have new challenges. The situation was already complicated, the pandemic added another layer. Already disadvantaged, BAME health care workers had to continue to provide high standards of care while working through the pandemic, which disproportionately affected BAME groups.
Given these facts, it is important to celebrate the work of diverse health care professionals. More importantly, it is to give them the tools to grow in their careers and continue to lead projects that benefit their communities. Especially when you consider that the topic of mental health is still taboo in the BAME community.
Did you know that one in four Black, Asian and minority ethnic people who have experienced mental health issues keep them to themselves, thinking they don’t know anyone who would understand? That’s the finding of a study by the British Bipolar Association.
A real societal issue
Representation is one of the answers to this problem, which is a real issue for society. The entire DiversityQ team is proud to host the National BAME Health & Care Awards (BAMEHCA), an annual event that recognizes the hard work and resilience of BAME professionals in the UK health and care sectors.
For those who want to join us in celebrating the unsung heroes of the NHS and BAME specialist services and find out who the winners are, the event will take place on 9 2022. Register here.
While we await the judges’ final decision, here is the list of nominees, which has been divided into 16 categories:
BAME Midwife of the Year
- Rukeya Miah, Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust Bradford Teaching Hospitals NH Foundation Trust
- Jenis Jarvis, Barts Health NHS Trust
- Soffia Ashraf, Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust
- Joyce Adu-Amankwah, St Georges University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
BAME Nurse of the Year
- Graham Manyere, East London NHS Foundation Trust
- Anisa Mohamed, Bolton NHS Foundation Trust
- Jennifer Pearson, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
- Luckeenarain (Joe) Jaimangal, Hywel Dda University Health Board
- Samuel Jude, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Ling’s Lynn, NHS Foundation Trust
- Mrs Sharon Sundersingh, Luton and Dunstable NHS Hospitals Trust
- Mrs Kokila Swamynathan, Cwm Taf Morgannwg Health Board
- Mr Coumarassamy Marimouttou, British Indian Nurses Association
- Louie Horne, East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT)
- Michelle Creese-James, West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust
Clinical Champion
- Judith Machiwenyika, Royal Papworth Hospital
- Dr Louai Shammaa, Notts Healthcare, HMP Gartree
- Dr Tipswalo Day, Hywel Dda University Health Board
- Jefferson De Vera, Hywel Dda University Health Board
- Dr Rajeev Vaikanthanathan, Ashgrove Medical Centre, Hywel Dda University Health Board
- Shumel Rahman, North East Ambulance Service
Community Initiative of the Year
- Staff Team at the Black-E Arts Centre, The Black-E Arts Centre
- Community Development Outreach Team, Hywel Dda University Health Board
- Rukeya Miah, Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust
- Positive Action Project NEAS, North East Ambulance Service NHS Trust
- British Indian Nurses Association, British Association of Physicians Of Indian Origin
- Society Of African and Caribbean Midwives, (SoAC)
- Lynne Bromley, Bolton NHS Foundation Trust
- Rohit Sagoo, British Sikh Nurses
Compassionate and Inclusive Leader
- Ilyas Adam, Bolton NHS Foundation Trust
- Sheeba Jefferson, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Funmi Onamusi, Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Marimouttou Coumarassamy, Birmingham & Solihull Mental Health NHS FT
- Augusta Stafford-Umughele, Hywel Dda University Health Board
- Anand Ganesan, Hywel Dda University Health Board 1 x nominations
- Dr Manju C Pallam, Manchester Metropolitan University
- Dr. Saeed Ahmed, Consultant Interventional Nephrologist and General Medicine Physician
- Mayflor Bernal, South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust
- Tejal Vaghela, West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
- Dr Premkumar Pitchaikani, Hywel Dda University Health Board, Wales
- Marsha Jones, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust
- Jas Cartwright, Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust
- Dr Margaret Ikpoh, Royal College of General Practitioner – Holderness Health
Digital Champion
- Dr Rizwan Malik, Bolton NHS Foundation Trust
- Chris Martin, Hywel Dda University Health Board
- Christy Varghese, Royal Papworth Hospital
- Rodaluz Trinidad, Barts Health NHS Trust
- Engagement Diversity and Inclusion Team, North East Ambulance Service
- Adnaan Qureshi, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Michelle Creese-James, West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust
- Rida Shafqat, West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust
Emergency and Critical Care Healthcare Professional
- Dr Nida Suri, West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust
- Shumel Rahman, North East Ambulance Service
Ground-breaking Researcher
- Benash Nazmeen, Bolton NHS Foundation Trust
- Nurulamin Noor, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Dr Sufyan Abid Dogra, Bradford Institute for Health Research
Health and Wellbeing Advocate
- Atinuke Akinmolayan, Royal Free London NHS Trust
- Basirat Adejumo (Bolah), Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust
- Faz Tahir, Welsh Ambulance Service
- Luxmi Dhoonmoon, Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
- Jahangir Alom, NHS England and Barts Health
- Dr Tahir Mehmood, NHS
- Tony Kelly, NHS Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care System
- Ugonna Chukwumaife, NHS & Rehoboth for Families
Inspiring Diversity and Inclusion Lead
- Carol Verner, Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Liz Jenkins, Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board
- Rukeya Miah, Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Dr Hashim Samir, Hywel Dda University Health Board
- Onika Patrick-Redhead, Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Sam Ogunkoya, East London NHS Foundation Trust (ELFT)
- Mr Usman Malik, NHS Arden & GEM CSU
- Jaskiern Kaur, Birmingham & Solihull Mental Health NHS FT
- Sandra Ovid, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust
Mental Health Initiative
- Dr Akhtar Khan, Hywel Dda University Health Board, Wales
- Soraya Kelly, Gloves are On charity
Outstanding Achievement of the Year
- Rukeya Miah, Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust
- Loveness Scott, North East Ambulance Services
- Beverly Davies, Hywel Dda University Health Board
- Apollo Exconde, CUH NHS
- Shabnam Ahmed, London Borough of Camden
- See ME First Team, Whittington Health NHS Trust
Outstanding Contribution to Social Care
- Adama Luca, Motor Neurone Disease Association Volunteer – currently a student at Southampton University in 4th year of becoming a Doctor
- Sherifat Muhammad-Kamal, Muslimah’s Academy
Outstanding Corporate Achievement of the Year
- Hywel Dda, University Health Board
- Jennifer Pearson, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust; Miriam Coffie and Tom Warner, NHS England & NHS Improvement Midlands
- Cheryl Samuels, Workforce Transformation at NHS England
Outstanding Technology Contribution
- Maaha Suleiman, Care Matched
- Sarah Chitongo, Middlesex University
Workforce Innovator
- Bisi Soledolu, The Shuri Network
- Francis Maina, CNWL
- Na’eem Ahmed, ChelWest NHS Trust
To attend the event click here. To find out more contact us.
