I’d like to start this week’s blog by expressing my gratitude to Ruth for stepping in to guest blog last week while I enjoyed a short break in Scotland.
Though I was away, my thoughts were very much with those affected by the heart-breaking and tragic incident in Southport, which has deeply touched many of us. It was a stark reminder of how crises can impact any community, but amidst the sorrow, we witnessed an extraordinary display of solidarity and collective strength.
The response from the emergency services in Southport was nothing short of remarkable. It served as a powerful reminder of how, when faced with adversity, the NHS including the Ambulance Service, Police, and Fire Services unite as one cohesive team, going beyond the boundaries of individual organisations and roles.
Unfortunately, what followed were deplorable acts of violence and intimidation, driven by intolerance, racism, and Islamophobia. I want to make it absolutely clear that I condemn these deliberate acts of violence and reaffirm our organisation's commitment to upholding our values and behaviours.
At ELHT, we are committed to being truly anti-racist. We take great pride in our diverse workforce and inclusive culture. The values we uphold, and the behaviours we expect from colleagues, patients, and visitors alike, mean that we unequivocally do not and will not tolerate racism, Islamophobia, misogyny, homophobia, or any form of discrimination or abuse—at any time, in any place. This includes behaviour on social media, where we have taken and will continue to take decisive action when such issues are reported.
We all have a role to play, so I encourage everyone at the Trust and in our communities to not stand by—stand up and speak out.
Should anyone experience any form of racial abuse or hate crime, details of who to report this to can be found here. Any offsite or out of hours incidents can be reported by calling 101 (operations room). This provides the Police with a footprint of incidents and can help to plan appropriate policing. Of course, if it’s an emergency, call 999 without delay.
Colleagues can also report through line managers or supervisors, the Freedom to Speak up Guardians or a trusted colleague they feel comfortable speaking to.
Our workforce, made up of over 10,000 dedicated individuals from 91 countries, is a remarkable feature of our Trust – being able to call on the expertise and skills of individuals from all corners of the world to provide services and care for people in need in our local communities. Our diversity is our strength.
Since the NHS was founded in 1948, we have relied on our staff from overseas and this will continue. Our international colleagues care for our communities, teach and nurture their peers, and embody the professionalism that defines our service.
Our staff are not just our workforce; they are also integral members of our communities. This sentiment was echoed by Amanda Pritchard, Chief Executive of NHS England, who expressed her deep gratitude to NHS colleagues and emergency services for their tireless efforts following the violent attack and unrest in Southport.
She strongly condemned the violence and racism, describing it as deeply un-British and something we should all find shameful. Amanda also highlighted the core British values of community and resilience, and the essential role that migration plays in sustaining the NHS.
We’ve been fortunate that East Lancashire has seen fewer disturbances, a testament to the strong connections and engagement we’ve fostered within our communities. However, it saddens me deeply that some of our colleagues and patients are experiencing fear and anxiety due to rising tensions. This is wrong, unfair, and simply unacceptable.
We are an organisation dedicated to caring for people, and we are here to serve everyone who needs us, regardless of their ethnicity. At ELHT, we want to be a beacon of compassion and inclusivity—a safe place where our colleagues, patients, and visitors are treated with kindness and respect.
I also understand that members of our wider communities are feeling frightened and anxious. The scenes witnessed across the country are understandably overwhelming and emotional, and many of you will have family and friends affected in other areas.
Closer to home, the desecration of Muslim graves at Burnley Cemetery was an appalling act, rightly being treated as a hate crime by the police. In response, Lancashire Police have taken significant steps to protect our communities, including cancelling all leave to ensure more officers are on the streets and ready to intervene if needed.
They have also established Community Discussion Forums to bring together people from different faiths and backgrounds. Senior members of staff from ELHT have been actively involved in these discussions, finding them incredibly helpful and reassuring.
Within our Trust, we’ve introduced tactical command meetings with Executives and senior leaders, and we’re in regular discussions with the police, local authorities, and system partners. This proactive approach has allowed us to implement additional security measures to provide reassurance for our colleagues, patients, and visitors and make sure our services continue to run unchanged.
So, what’s next? We continue doing what we do best—caring for our patients and supporting our communities. And we will make sure our colleagues from those 91 different countries feel they belong, are supported, and are cared for.
There have been many examples of people offering support to one another this week, providing reassurance and practical help. Managers and supervisors have shown flexibility with start and finish times and have temporarily adjusted work locations for those feeling vulnerable. Team members have organised buddy systems, offered lifts, or simply walked with each other to their cars at the end of a shift.
And it’s not just within the Trust where this sense of togetherness is evident. On Wednesday, when unrest was anticipated on our streets, Lancashire demonstrated remarkable civic morality. Events passed largely peacefully, and many media outlets highlighted the solidarity on display, particularly in Accrington, where pub-goers came out to embrace those participating in a peaceful walking demonstration between two mosques.
This morning, we held the first of what will likely be a series of listening events—providing time and space for our colleagues to voice their concerns and share their experiences. We will listen and act, because as I’ve often said, we are a family, and we rally together in the aftermath of events that affect us. We are far stronger together and our organisational values and behaviours will always uphold that sentiment.
Finally, I want to address the issue at the core of much of this—misinformation.
Many of you are active on social media, participate in online forums, or are part of WhatsApp groups, so I want to leave you with an important message. Throughout these troubling events, social media has played a significant role in spreading divisive, disingenuous, and dangerous information.
From false reports about the identity of the Southport incident suspect to fabricated stories of acid attacks, and misleading posts about potential protests that never materialised, social media has become a breeding ground for unverified rumours, provocative claims, and outright lies—igniting anger and panic from local to nation level.
Please be vigilant and avoid contributing to the spread of misinformation. Think carefully about what you read, share and believe from online sources. There are many motivations behind the sharing of information, so be curious, challenge what you see and if in doubt, turn to trusted voices such as the police, councils, and community leaders.
Let’s hope this difficult time passes quickly, but that the lessons we learn about keeping each other safe, respected, and cared for stay with us far longer.
Martin