20 leaders from 12 MK institutions participated in an online Weaving Trust event focused on the equality of access to MK health services experienced by people from Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities.
The event provided an opportunity to hear testimonies and share experiences – through a carousel of short one-to-one discussions – with various MK health providers. It was hoped this would lead to new opportunities for understanding, collaboration and perhaps action to improve the way things are.
After an introduction from Chair Kurhshida Mirza, testimonies were heard from:
- Jabeer Butt, CEO, Race Equality Foundation – national perspective on evidence of health inequalities (read testimony)
- Dr Aysha Ziauddin – a GP living in MK and working in Northampton – sharing her thoughts on the issues for BAME communities (hear testimony)
- Mrs Humaira Hasan – a local MK resident – why equal access to health is important to her as a citizen (hear testimony)
Then there were six rounds of 7-minute one-to-one conversations.
At the end of the event, a small team agreed to meet in two weeks to prioritise issues, taking note of comments written in Zoom Chat, and work to set a direction for action to bring about change (read written comments).
Humaira Hasan of Truby’s Garden Tea Room wrote: “It was nice to be able to speak to others whom I wouldn’t normally have the opportunity to interact with. Also nice to have a platform where I can speak freely!”