Our emergency departments are currently extremely busy, and you may face a long wait to be seen. More information is available on alternative services.
Our networks support and celebrate our colleagues.
Members can attend meetings and share their experiences, with the aim of empowering our colleagues and supporting an inclusive culture.
Each network has its own objectives to promote the needs of its members and reflect the trust’s values.
Our (Dis)Ability network has been established to inform, empower and support colleagues with a disability. The network aims to involve disabled colleagues in decision making processes and identify career progression needs and opportunities.
Many issues disabled colleagues face may affect working practices and the aim of this network is to ensure that the diversity of our colleagues is not only respected, but also celebrated.
On occasions where diversity is not regarded positively, the network will signpost colleagues to where they can seek support to resolves issues of discrimination. The network will link to other organisations locally and nationally which are committed to developing equality in all areas and at all levels of the NHS, with a specific focus on improving disability equality. East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust supports the network as part of our organisational dedication to equal opportunities for everyone.
The (Dis)Ability network is open to all disabled and ally colleagues. If you are an member of staff and wish to join the network or are looking for more information please contact esht.disability@nhs.net.
Religion, culture and spirituality, in whatever way they are expressed and understood, are central to everyone’s wellbeing, needs and resilience.
We are committed to ensuring that all colleagues feel that their faith or belief is recognised and respected. The activities of our faith and belief network are not confined to organised religion. It is more about promoting an ethos that recognises body, mind and spirit connections in the social context of our workplace.
Our diverse workforce must be open to different points of view, beliefs and, at the same time, feel able to fulfil their job role while being able to express their individuality. The faith and belief network provides an open forum for colleagues to share their experience of the workplace in a supportive and safe environment and to participate in discussion and events.
The faith and beliefs of our colleagues are supported by our chaplaincy team. There is a multi-faith room and a chapel at Conquest Hospital and at Eastbourne DGH, both of which are open 24 hours and which everyone is welcome to use at any time. Services are usually held in both chapels on a weekly basis. Chaplains are available Monday to Friday for faith and belief support, with members of the chaplaincy team happy to assist with supporting the observance or celebration of any religious festivals or holy days.
The faith and belief network is open to all colleagues. If you are an member of staff and wish to join the network or are looking for more information please contact esht.faithandbelief@nhs.net.
The LGBTQI+ network has been set up to promote respect for colleagues of any sexual orientation and/or gender identity.
The focus of the network is to:
The LGBTQ+ network is open to all LGBTQ+ and ally colleagues. If you are a member of staff and wish to join the network or are looking for more information please contact esht.lgbtqi@nhs.net
The multicultural network plays an important role working in conjunction with other key stakeholders in the trust to promote and achieve race equality for all colleagues. As part of the network’s aim to support and celebrate our ethnically diverse community, it tackles direct and indirect discrimination by working towards creating an equitable and inclusive workplace where all barriers are eliminated and everyone has the opportunity to succeed based on their potential.
In addition to our ethnically diverse colleagues, the network welcomes allies who which to contribute to and forward the equalities agenda.
The aims of the network are:
There is no place for racism in Sussex. We recognise the impact that racist behaviours have on our workforce is devastating. We want people to feel safe and to thrive. It is our responsibility to create safe, inclusive, and supportive working environments and stamp out racism when we see it. We stand firmly together with our partners in being committed to tackling institutional and interpersonal racism in all its forms. We commit to listening, monitoring, and continually evaluating our practice because we recognise that good anti-racist practice for our workforce leads to better care for our patients and our population.
The multicultural network is open to all our ethnically diverse and ally colleagues. If you are a member of staff and wish to join the network or are looking for more information please contact esht.multiculturalstaffnetwork@nhs.net
Our women’s network plays a critical role in ensuring we are a fair and more equal place to work.
The vision of the women’s network is to:
Membership is open to women, those who identify as women and to allies of women who want to be involved in creating impactful change. Together we can produce a strong, united and influential voice for women, embracing multiple and intersectional identities.
The women’s network is open to all women colleagues, those who identify as women and to allies. If you are a member of staff and wish to join the network or are looking for more information please contact esht.workforceinclusion@nhs.net
