As a thank you to its international workforce for all their hard work, dedication and devotion to the NHS and its patients, Bradford Teaching Hospitals recently put on permanent display 75 flags – each one representing the background and heritage of its staff.
The Foundation Trust’s community is richly diverse and this new installation on the glass balustrades at the main accessible entrance to the Bradford Royal Infirmary (on Smith Lane, Heaton) celebrates the nationalities working there.
Chief Executive, Professor Mel Pickup, said:
It would be impossible to run the services we do without the support of the many talented overseas healthcare professionals who work across all the Trust’s teams and departments.
Today we recognise and celebrate their huge contribution to our hospitals here in Bradford and the support they have given to us and the wider NHS, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
It’s never an easy call to leave the country of your birth, but I hope that everyone who sees their flag realises that their individual contribution and hard work is recognised and valued, so thanks to each and every colleague for your dedication to our patients.
Consultant Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist, Dr Sulleman Moreea, was born and brought up in Mauritius. He came to the UK to train at Leeds Medical School and now holds British and Mauritian citizenships. He joined the Trust in September 2008.
Dr Moreea said:
I came to Bradford as part of my junior doctor training rotation and felt very welcome as everyone was so friendly and it was clear colleagues go the extra mile for patients with every ounce of their being.
I decided to stay on and become a consultant because I have always considered the Trust to feel more like one big family which celebrates and encourages diversity and equality of opportunity for all.
The flags reinforce that we have a multi-cultural workforce whose reach touches many countries across the world – that’s part of what makes the hospitals and indeed, the city, so special.
The Trust is proud that the flag installation highlights its diverse organisation to its patients and local community. It also reminds staff visually just how many different nationalities make up the Bradford Teaching Hospitals’ family.
Professor Pickup added:
We are one team with many talents and our people come from every corner of the globe and that’s what makes our BTHFT family so special.
