National Ambulance LBGT+ Conference

EOC Duty Manager, Andrew Beardsley and EOC Improvement Manager, Zoe Martindale, attended the National Ambulance LGBT+ Network Conference with Tom Abell, colleagues from operations and the equality, diversity, and inclusion team.

The conference is an annual event designed to bring Ambulance LGBT+ network members, network leaders, NHS senior leaders, and people of influence together. The aim is to unite people through a series of workshops, discussions around best practices, finding ways to improve, education and learning as well as professional development across a wide range of specific topics and insights typically not provided anywhere else.

Andrew Beardsley said “As an openly gay man I was proud to attend this event on behalf of EEAST. There was so much learning and development involved which I wasn’t expecting but it was so informative right down to the networking events and uniquely designed workshops. Some of these were around people’s personal journeys including stories, battles, highs, and lows which were very moving and often difficult to hear experiences. It also featured Q&A sessions from some NHS CEOs including our own CEO, Tom Abell. The event was much more than just LGBT+ it was a focus on the more complex areas of equality, inclusion, and diversity and how we all have a part to play in that and what we can all do to make positive inclusive change. I will be able to use the skills from this event in daily life both in and out of work and will reflect on the learning to help support where I can.

I personally feel lucky to work for a diverse and inclusive employer where I have never experienced any poor behaviours but it’s clear from the discussions that not everyone has had the same positive experiences I have so there is more work to do to keep us moving forward. It surprises me that today sexuality or any differences really still cause such a divide and see’s people being treated unkindly, differently, or unfairly. We need to keep the conversations and the learning going to get ahead of that and keep calling out those poor and negative behaviours. There is no place in EEAST, the NHS or society for behaviours like that in this day and age”.

Find out more about the LGBT Support Network.

Published 10th August 2023