Across October we have been fortunate to hear from colleagues submit their thoughts on Black History Month, and share some intimate parts of their lives as a result. In closing October Mairo Adamu, who has been a part of UHP for 10 years and is one of our Assistant Technical Officer’s in the Sterilisation Disinfection Unit (SDU), gives her opinion on the influence minorities have had on UK healthcare…

“It is an honour and a privilege to be invited by the UHP NHS Trust to submit a blog article in celebration of Black History Month (BHM) for marginalised ethnic groups.

Personally for me, BHMis a time to reflect on slavery (an abhorrent practice of human torture and cruelty to mankind). It has taken time, but I believe the contributions of minorities, and their achievements, are now being recognised, applauded and celebrated by British society and the world.

Minorities have come a long way, each with a story to tell on how they ended in the UK. In essence, it is a journey of adversity, hope, aspiration and the willingness to make a difference to the country and society we now called home.

The NHS is the pillar of healthcare in this nation. Harmonised minorities can grumble and lament on the good, the bad and the ugly of being in a foreign nation, but our key goal for me should be always to focus on the successes, and not our obstacles.

Regardless of our backgrounds and countries; be it from Africa, Asia, Europe or the Americas, there is one common element that unites us: the desire to save lives and contribute to the health of the diverse United Kingdom. We may be classed as ‘black’, but our hearts are full of colour and the beauty that binds us in our hearts.

Benevolently, we have been invited and welcomed by the host country and its people (the people of the UK). In turn, we reciprocated the kind gesture graciously to loyally serve and contribute our fair share to the nation’s healthcare. Our gallant efforts can been seen everywhere and, evidently, we have been validated, respected, thanked, celebrated and applauded for all of that.

The NHS is the staple of healthcare across the UK. I am proud to work for the UHP, I am proud to live in the UK, and I am proud to be a family member of the diverse and inclusive NHS. It is our NHS — something I would describe as our ‘United Nation of Health’.

Long live the NHS, and happy Black History Month.

October marks the start of Black History Month 2024. Each year the commemorative month focusses on a theme – this year the theme looks at ‘Reclaiming Narratives’. The topic intends to highlight a shift towards recognising and correcting the narratives of black history and culture. This year, we will mark the week with a range of voices from our global majority colleagues and what ‘reclaiming narratives’ means to them as we celebrate and recognise the history and diversity of the people that make up our trust.