Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is thrilled to share the news that its ‘Ramadan Allies’ project has been shortlisted for the staff wellbeing category at this year’s HSJ Patient Safety Awards which recognises safety, culture and positive experience in patient care, celebrating its worthy finalists on a national scale.
The Trust takes a proactive approach to supporting its Muslim colleagues and creating an inclusive workplace for them during the holy month of Ramadan. And this year it unveiled its unique ‘Ramadan Experience @BTHFT’ – a project, supported by Bradford Hospitals’ Charity, designed to cement its position as a ‘Ramadan friendly employer’.
The idea came from the Trust’s Spiritual, Pastoral and Religious Care (SPaRC) team and its aim is to empower hospital managers with the knowledge and resources around Ramadan to ensure faith needs are balanced alongside continued service delivery.
Managers embraced the project by signing up to become ‘Ramadan Allies’: a visible demonstration of which is the ‘Ramadan Ally’ badge. This shows the individual’s commitment to positive action to create a Ramadan friendly workplace.
Muslim SPaRC Practitioner, Rubina Yasin said: “I’m absolutely thrilled that our ‘Ramadan Allies’ project has been shortlisted for such a prestigious award – it’s a great reflection of Bradford Teaching Hospitals as a diverse, supportive and welcoming place to work.
“Ramadan is a sacred and important month in the Islamic calendar, and with 20 per cent of staff at the Trust describing themselves as Muslims, we were keen to develop a proactive and inclusive approach.
“We believe our ‘Ramadan Experience @BTHFT’ promotes good working relationships and creates a better understanding with non-Muslim colleagues, who are often wanting to support their Muslim colleagues but not sure how to. We exceeded the number of ‘Ramadan Allies’ who signed up at the launch, with managers coming from across all wards and departments.”
The HSJ Patient Safety Awards acknowledges the hard-working teams and individuals across the UK who are continually striving to deliver improved patient care.
A record-breaking 515 entries were received for the HSJ Patient Safety Awards 2023, with 209 organisations, projects and individuals making it to the final shortlist. The high volume – and exceptional quality – of applications is once again reflecting the dedication and commitment to patient care within the UK’s healthcare networks.
Of the 24 categories, three are new for 2023, representing some of the recent initiatives and current focus areas within the NHS. These comprise the award for staff wellbeing initiative of the year; safety improvement through technology award; and urgent and emergency care safety initiative of the year
The judging panel was made up of a diverse range of highly influential and respected figures within the healthcare community.
Following the thorough judging process to date, the ‘Ramadan Allies’ project was shortlisted, ahead of the official awards ceremony to be held later this year in Manchester (18 September).
HSJ editor Alastair McLellan, added: “As always, it’s a pleasure at this stage of our lengthy judging process, to be able to offer my congratulations to Bradford Teaching Hospitals, as the shortlisted finalists are revealed for this years’ HSJ Patient Safety Awards.
“Every one of the projects, trusts, teams and individuals who entered this year have truly demonstrated their skills in setting – and delivering – the highest of standards in healthcare excellence, presenting our venerable panel of judges with some difficult decisions.
The full list of finalists for the 2023 HSJ Patient Safety Awards can be found at https://awards.patientsafetycongress.co.uk/shortlist-2023.