Paul Deemer, head of equality, diversity and human rights at NHS Employers, believes a new crop of people are benefiting from battles fought by the generation that preceded them, and are bringing enthusiasm to the challenge of workplace diversity

Black man in office setting

A new generation of leaders are ‘challenging the systems and processes that sometimes cause inequality and unfairness’

This is the second year that NHS Employers has sponsored HSJ’s BME Pioneers supplement.

‘These BME pioneers are encouraged and enthused by the energy and passion of their predecessors’

We applaud HSJ and our other partners, NHS Leadership Academy and the British Medical Association, for working with us to lead this work.

When BME Pioneers launched last year, I wrote about the valuable contribution these individuals had made and the legacy they would leave.

That was, and still is, true. However, this year’s list is, I believe, even more significant and relevant to the here and now because it contains a larger proportion of what I would call the new generation of BME Pioneers.

These people have benefited from the battles and struggles their predecessors fought, and are now challenging the systems and processes that sometimes cause inequality and unfairness for BME staff and patients with renewed vigour and determination.

They are encouraged and enthused by the energy and passion of their predecessors, and are able to apply fresh thinking and ideas to address challenges in a different way.

Refreshed approach

This new generation of BME Pioneers are combining traditional skills of critical analysis and persuasive argument with modern theories and techniques to enhance their impact.

So, the compelling moral and legal case for equality is bolstered by a sound business case, one that places equality at the heart of organisational development and in the centre of their values-based approach.

This business case talks not just about equality, but also about diversity and inclusion and, beyond that, the power of these issues within the whole corporate social responsibility arena. These messages are then conveyed and communicated by the new generation through a variety of social media platforms, which allows them to reach a wider audience in a much quicker time.

The new generation of BME Pioneers are the future leaders of our NHS - and I thank them all and wish them well.

Paul Deemer is head of equality, diversity and human rights at NHS Employers

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