We are sure that like us you have been appalled by the brutal killing of George Floyd in America. We feel ashamed that our generation has not been able to tackle the racism which exists in our world, our country, our workplaces and perhaps even in our own streets.
The many protests across the world give us hope that change is still possible. But, if things are to change at all it must involve us all looking deep into our hearts and being honest about how we feel and react to those whom we see as different to ourselves. We need to be able to be comfortable to talk about power and privilege without feeling defensive or intimidated.
At DGT we have started to talk about diversity and difference but we have a long way to go before we can truly say that every single member of staff and every patient feels that who they are is valued and celebrated and that discrimination is a thing of the past.
Our vision is not only that staff and patients do not experience discrimination but that our Trust is a workplace and care environment where people feel they belong and where diversity is recognised as essential to a successful, kind and exciting organisation.
We are sure you join us in letting it be known, loud and clear that racism, intimidation, or discrimination of any kind will not be tolerated in our organisation. We are committed to creating a workplace and care environment where everyone feels a strong sense of belonging and which serves as an exemplar of diversity and equality to the communities we serve.
We pledge to listen and ensure everyone’s voice in the organisation is heard. You can make your voice heard by giving feedback to us personally or by joining the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Council on the 29th June, information about which will follow.
Together we will build an organisation in which diversity is celebrated and discrimination is a thing of the past.