BME Staff Network

Sue Silva, Health Care Assistant, Rehabilitation and Assessment, Lightburn Hospital – Network Co-Chair

Sue Silva said: “I am delighted to be elected Co-Chair and I want to reaffirm the purpose of the Network as a safe, supportive and courageous space for BME staff across NHSGGC to raise issues, speak their truth and shape change. We stand together to challenge inequality, celebrate diverse cultures and be a voice to influence decisions that affect our working lives.”

Owolona Ogbe, Healthcare Chaplain, Glasgow Royal Infirmary – Network Co-Chair

Owolona Ogbe echoed Sue’s comments, adding: “If you’ve ever felt invisible, unheard or are struggling to carry on when no one is listening, then the Network is a place for you. I want all our members to know, you are not alone. As Co-chair I am just as passionate about the power of sharing positive experiences, to inspire colleagues to do more – stories of empowerment and belonging matter and show the progress we are making.”

Mehvish Ashraf, MRPharmS, Non-Executive Director – BME Board Champion

As a Non-Executive Director and Board’s BAME Champion, Mehvish brings a wealth of patient facing and senior management expertise from her career as a community pharmacist where she worked for an independent chain of pharmacies with sites across Scotland.

As a Muslim woman of colour, she has experienced Islamophobia and racism and is passionate about ensuring that we create a workplace that truly values diversity, creating the right culture, systems and support to enable this.

Mehvish is the Co-Chair of the Staff Governance Committee, Clinical and Care Governance Committee, the East Renfrewshire Integrated Joint Board and a Trustee of the Greater Glasgow and Clyde Healthcare Charity (formerly the Endowment Fund).

• Provide a safe, supportive and confidential forum for sharing experiences.
•  Network and discuss identified issues that affect members of staff from BME groups.
•  Act as a platform for consultation and influence on issues impacting on the health, wellbeing and work of BME staff.
•  Facilitate opportunities for feedback on staff governance issues in relation to the experience of BME staff.

Please contact ggc.bmestaffnetwork@nhs.scot for details on how to join.

• Wednesday 2 December from 12.00pm to 2.00pm (MS Teams)

During the holy month of Ramadan many of our Muslim colleagues and patients observed the fast. This requires abstaining from food and drink from dawn to sunset, impacting various aspects of their daily lives.

Please see the linked guidance for how best you can support your Muslim colleagues during Ramadan:

• Guidance to support your workforce during Ramadan
• Ramadan Health Factsheet

We encourage managers to review the guidance and, where practicable, make adjustments to service plans for the month.

Every year, NHSGGC runs a leadership programme in partnership for BME members of staff who are seeking to develop their career, with an aspiration to move into senior leadership positions.

There is growing research and recognition that an inclusive and diverse workforce that reflects the diversity of the population it serves, is better able to meet that population’s needs. Research within the NHS also shows that effective team working, using the skills of all employees, leads to better patient care and to lower levels of stress amongst all staff.

Staff from BME communities are under-represented at senior levels within NHSGGC. NHSGGC is, therefore, offering this Leadership Programme, delivered in partnership with PATH (Scotland), and specifically for its employees from BME communities, as one of its initiatives to help address that underrepresentation.

This programme aims to support those participating to fulfil their potential and access opportunities that will be beneficial not only for their own career progression, but also for NHSGGC more widely, by having a positive impact on healthcare provision.

While applications for the 2026 programme are now closed, please sign up to the BME Network distribution list ggc.bmestaffnetwork@nhs.scot for announcements about future programmes.

You can also find out about our other leadership development programmes here: Boardwide Leadership Provision – NHSGGC

NHSGGC continues on our journey to maximise inclusion and diversity within our workforce.

We compliment our existing portfolio of management and leadership development provision with our ‘Developing Leadership Skills’ programme specifically for Black and Minority Ethnic employees in NHSGGC.

Feedback from staff participating is detailed below.

Kamaljit Khalsa

“I am Dr Kamaljit Khalsa, a Consultant Medical Microbiology based at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital. I have just completed the BME Leadership Development Programme run by NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde. The programme highlighted the value of diversity and equality within team settings. By networking and engaging with people from across the whole organisation it was useful to hear about some of the struggles and challenges faced including unconscious bias. Going forward we built on some common goals, ideas and aspirations. The small accountability groups enabled us to engage and gain support from one another. I would highly recommend this programme and feel it has improved my confidence, leadership skills and realised the importance of looking oneself.”

Dr Esther Azi

“I am Esther Azi, a Specialty Doctor with the West of Scotland Sexual Assault Response Co-ordination Services (SARCS). I was privileged to be part of the pioneer cohort that underwent the BME Leadership Development Programme.

I must say it was a rich and well packaged programme. From the brilliant facilitator Gillian Neish, the amazing colleagues from NHSGGC, I met and interacted with over six months from all disciplines and cadres, to the guest speakers with lived experiences and huge wealth of knowledge.

The programmed spanned six months, it was well spaced out and the virtual component allowed for flexibility. The break out sessions made it quite engaging and stimulating and the blend of reflective writing, oral presentations and life hacks from guest speakers made it possible for me to leave the programme with a lot of skills and confidence in approaching CV writing, interviews, leading teams and being assertive in the face of bullying or discrimination.

I particularly enjoyed the mindfulness and wellbeing moments we observed during each session, reminding us to take care of ourselves so we could give our best to our patients, the team, and the organisation at large. Joining the BME Network during the programme also meant I had on-going support after the course, as we were constantly reminded ‘support networks are their weight in gold’.

Since the programme, I have taken the initiative to lead on a project, which has made me more confident in putting forward ideas, working across different teams and be solution driven.

In all, I would highly recommend this programme for future cohorts. This would entail full participation to get the full range of tangible and intangible benefits.

October marks Black History Month. It provides an opportunity to learn, reflect and celebrate the impact that Black colleagues, patients and communities have on NHSGGC and the wider communities we serve.

As part of the celebrations, the BME Staff Network is out and about across sites, talking with colleagues and letting them know more about the support the Network provides to BME staff.

The Network is also planning this year’s event to celebrate Black History Month. This year’s powerful theme, ‘Honouring Our Communities’, will recognise and celebrate the rich contributions, history, heritage, culture and achievements of Black communities. The event will bring colleagues together for an evening of celebration and connection, featuring guest speakers, inspirational stories, cultural performances, music, networking opportunities and authentic Afro-Caribbean cuisine.

In August, the BME Staff Network hosted an evening of reflection, culture, and connection in celebration of South Asian Heritage Month (SAHM) 2026.

The event honoured the vibrancy and invaluable contributions of South Asian communities across our organisation.

Rooted in NHSGGC’s values of care, dignity, respect, openness, and inclusion, the evening was part of our ongoing journey to build a workplace where every voice is valued, and every heritage celebrated.

NHSGGC Board and BME Staff Network are committed to supporting to the National NHS Minority Ethnic Network, established in 2021. The key work streams are:

Employment

Recruitment – Selection – Development – Career Progression

Workplace Culture

Race Conversations – Lived Experiences – Recognising Barriers – Clear Messages – Race Equality

Mental Health

Practical Advice – Signposting – Clinical Support – Targeted Communications – Governance