Meet EEAST’s LGBT network

As we head into the last week of Pride month, EEAST’s LGBT network committee is here to introduce themselves.

Dom Gaffney – Co Chair (Pronouns He/Him)

Dom joined EEAST back in 2019 having previously worked for North West Ambulance Service. He has worked within the ambulance sector since 2012, where he stared his career as an Emergency Call Handler in NWAS’ Liverpool control room. He then moved into the role of Emergency Medical Technician working in Liverpool and the wider Merseyside area.

During this time, he headed up the NWAS LGBT Network, seeing it grow in both volume of members and in its ability to support staff and patients. Dom was among the first committee members of the National Ambulance LGBT Network, which allowed all ambulance Trust’s to work together to support staff and share best practice.

As part of the NWAS team, Dom secured the National Ambulance LGBT Network Conference to be hosted in Greater Manchester during Pride month. The event has seen one of the biggest attendances of ambulance staff in a Pride event.

Within EEAST, Dom is now a Duty Tactical Commander working in Essex and continues to work operationally in South Cambridgeshire.

Dom wants to ensure that EEAST’s LGBT network can grow to benefit staff, patients, and the organisation itself. He believes that the there has been some change and growth within the organisation as well as significant progress with the LGBT agenda, but there is still lots of work to do to ensure that our people feel supported and feel able to be their true authentic selves whilst at work.

 

Graham Clark – Co Chair (Pronouns He/Him)

Following a number of years working in the private and voluntary sectors, Graham joined London Ambulance Service is 2010 as a Student Paramedic and moved to EEAST as a Qualified Paramedic in 2013.

Since joining EEAST Graham has had a number of roles included with the HART team, as an Emergency Department Paramedic, Recruitment Specialist and Business Support manager. He now works as a LOM in South Cambridgeshire.

Outside of EEAST, Graham s the current Chair of the College of Paramedics’ Diversity Steering Group, which acts as an advisory role to the council. He regularly attends the National Ambulance LGBT network meetings and a variety of annual conferences for the profession.

Graham is extremely passionate about promoting diversity, equality and belonging in EEAST, particularly in terms of creating and maintaining a safe, fair and equal working environment for all staff. He feels that by improving minority representation in all of EEAST’s departments and leadership positions, we can improve community engagement and ultimately the way in which all of our service users access care from the health system.

 

Melanie Bartlett – Secretary (Pronouns She/Her)

Melanie is a trans woman and works as an ACA based at Peterborough.

She has previously served within the Royal Navy, and subsequently became a professional yacht skipper. This led to her joining the staff of a yachting magazine, where she then went on to have a successful career as a freelance journalist.

Increasingly severe bouts of gender dysphoria led to the collapse of her writing business. After being referred to an NHS Gender Identity Clinic, Melanie was diagnosed as ‘transexual’, and began the slow process of social, medical and surgical transition. Fully recovered from her surgery and with a newfound enthusiasm for life she joined EEAST in 2018.

Melanie has three adult daughters who call her ‘Mel’ in public and ‘Dad’ in private, a grandson who has never know her as anything other than ‘Nana’, and two dogs.

She regards herself as one of the lucky ones because she has such a supportive family and colleagues and she is keen to do all she can to help those who are struggling to ‘come out’ or who are suffering from homophonic and transphobic abuse and discrimination.

 

The team host quarterly meetings of the LGBT network, If you would like to find out more or become a member please email lgbt@eastamb.nhs.uk.

Published 21st June 2023