More time for compassion

An update from our Chief Executive on the crisis in the Middle East

I’m writing to you again as the distressing conflict in the Middle East continues. Whilst there was a brief humanitarian pause in the fighting, the sheer catastrophic tragedy of human suffering has not stopped.

I know this is having a terrible impact on colleagues and the communities we serve, especially for those who have family and friends in Israel, Gaza and the surrounding region. I challenge anyone not to be shocked and disturbed at the atrocities committed on those innocent men, women and children caught up in the conflict.

This sense of outrage has caused tensions and friction between communities across the country, especially during marches and protests.

We rightly condemn brutality and the targeting of civilians, and to truly live our values, we must peacefully challenge discrimination and hate crime without violence or aggression.

As NHS employees and public servants, it is our job to care for people of all races, religions, and nationalities no matter their political views. Therefore, our job demands that we must be strictly non-political. We must act and be seen to act with political impartiality, and our resources must never be used for any party-political purposes.

I know some colleagues have enquired about taking part in activism, marches and protests. My advice to you is that you are free to undertake peaceful and lawful activism in a personal capacity, but you should not involve your employer or create the impression of the NHS’ involvement or endorsement.

Please also be very cautious about what you read, accept as fact, and post on social media related to the conflict in the Middle East. Social media channels are not subject to the same editorial rigour as credible news outlets and can promote misinformation and propaganda. The last thing I would want is for our staff and service users to be abused or subject to hate crimes.

The Trust has a highly diverse workforce affected by this tragedy, and some of you will care for service users who have deep connections to Israel and Gaza. Your wellbeing is our priority and we want to support you to feel safe, healthy and well both physically and psychologically. Its timely therefore to remind everyone that we have a range of health and wellbeing support which you can find out more about on Staffnet, or email healthwellbeing.lypft@nhs.net with any queries.

The main thing is to please speak to someone if you are struggling. Be they a colleague, a friend, a family member or a professional.

Guidance on charity donations

I know many of you are keen to support the innocent victims of this war. This is truly inspiring as many of you will also be adversely affected by our domestic cost of living crisis.

The UK Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office recommends donating through established and well-coordinated emergency response mechanisms, as they are the most effective way to support people during any humanitarian crisis.

You can do this through:

If you wish to help Gazans at this time, the UK government recommends that you donate to one of these organisations, or through other trusted aid organisations.

If you wish to donate to other charities, you should make a few checks before giving:

  • search the charity register to check that they are regulated by The Charity Commission,
  • make sure the charity is genuine before giving them any financial information, and
  • if in doubt, ask the charity or organisation for more information.

 

They also say one of the best ways to help is by donating cash through trusted charities and aid organisations, rather than donating goods, as getting aid into Gaza is complex and relies on the Rafah border crossing with Egypt.

 

My heart goes out to all those affected by this ongoing nightmare, and may peace be with you at this difficult time.