NHS Lanarkshire’s Ethnic Minority Employee Network hosted an event with the First Minister this week.
More than 200 staff members attended the ‘A Diverse Leadership Journey: In Conversation’ virtual event, featuring the Rt Hon Humza Yousaf MSP, First Minister of Scotland.
Hina Sheikh, our equality and diversity manager, led the discussion with the First Minister.
The First Minister talked passionately about the challenges he has faced throughout his career, particularly racism and Islamophobia, as well as ageism. He has taken steps to build his resilience – and that of his family – to combat any negativity that comes his way.
He encouraged everyone to strive to achieve a healthy working life and shared the importance he puts on family time within his extremely busy schedule.
The First Minister acknowledged our 75th anniversary and emphasised the importance of every staff member in the NHS. He talked about the extreme challenges that have been faced over the past few years and remains committed to NHS core values.
His final words were of thanks to everyone in the NHS and encouraged staff members to share their thoughts and advice with him at any time.
Host of the event, Hina Sheikh, commented:
“It was a privilege to host this event with our First Minister. He was extremely honest about his journey as an ethic minority politician, the challenges he’s faced and how he has managed to overcome them.
“Thank you to all of our staff for taking the time to attend the event and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.”
A big thank you to the EMEN team for organising this event.
For further information about the event or to join the EMEN please contact:
Hina Sheikh on hina.sheikh@lanarkshire.scot
