Meet some of the members of the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership BAME staff network.
Saf Bhuta
Saf Bhuta is a Head of Service at Kirklees Council, with a passion for systems thinking and for harnessing the power of intelligence to help improve care outcomes for people.
Before starting with Kirklees, Saf worked for one of the world’s largest FMCG companies. After a decade working across social care and health, Saf knows what drives quality improvement and safe, effective services — and it’s not mastering the latest dashboard report. It’s how well you humanise the way you work and connect with the people you’re trying to support, bringing to life the experiences and stories hidden in processes to support continual improvement
Twitter: @safbhuta
Pam Bhupal
Hello my name is Pam Bhupal, I am the Regional Health Partnership support officer, currently working at Calderdale Council. My background is working in local government and policy making.
Prior to working at WYH and Calderdale Council I worked at Bradford Council in various departments, working on a range of areas such as; leading the award winning Bradford District council Food strategy (Centre of Public Scrutiny – Working Together 2011), Public Health programme management and climate change.
I joined the WYH BAME group to help people who look like me reach their highest potential.
Twitter: @PamelaB04
Errol Brown
Currently I have over 33 years’ experience working for the Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust and am at present employed as a Contracts Manager for the procurement department. In addition, I am a freedom to speak up champion and also chair the BAME (Black and Asian Minority Ethnic) network group for the Trust.
Music is my passion and family moulded me in to who I am today, they are the driving force for everything I do.
My favourite sayings or affirmations at present are: ‘Understand the importance of your own energy’ – ‘Believe in Self’ – ‘Positivity Breeds Positivity’
Twitter: @ErrolBrown
Isaac Dziya
My name is Isaac Hlekisani Dziya, and I currently work as a Flood Resilience Partnership Manager, a CMBC Calderdale Unison Equalities Officer and a CMBC Workplace Steward Mulcture House; all under the purview of Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council (CMBC). Concurrently I am studying for a PhD Researcher in Disaster Management at Huddersfield University.
I am passionate about advancing the causes of the Black and Asian ethnic minorities.
Twitter: @Isaac Dziya
Wasim Feroze
Wasim joined Leeds City Council on the graduate programme in 2014 and is currently a Policy Officer in the Chief Executive’s Office, providing policy and corporate support to the Chief Executive and the wider leadership across the council.
Wasim has been Chair of the council’s Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) Network since 2018, supporting the Network’s ambitions to improve the opportunities for BAME staff to develop and progress in the organisation.
More recently, the LCC BAME Staff Network has focused its engagement in understanding the impact of COVID-19 on BAME staff in the organisation.
Twitter: @wasim_feroze
Ester Jamera
Hello, My Name is Ester Jamera. I am a sister in Oncology Outpatients at St James University Hospital and Co-Chair and Founder of LTHT BME Staff Network. Following the Care Quality Commission's visit to the Trust in May 2016, I have had the privilege to listen to stories from BME and non-BME staff. These stories have highlighted that there continues to be a significant gap between Trust ambitions around race equality and the experiences of staff on the ground. This has driven me to step up as a leader to support the Trust to bridge this gap. I soon realised that race is one of the most difficult subjects to talk about, but one I believe needs to be openly discussed for our Trust and the NHS as a whole to fully enjoy the benefits of a diverse workforce.
Twitter: @EsterJamera @LTHT_BME
Fatima Khan-Shah
Hi! My name is Fatima Khan-Shah. I am the lead for two programmes in the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership focusing on Unpaid Carers and Personalised Care. I am also a member of the NHS assembly, the Kingsfund General Council and the Patient Advisory Forum at Health Education England.
Before I started working in the partnership I was a Lay Member in two Clinical Commissioning Groups and the joint committee of CCG’s. I have also worked in primary care, the local authority and the voluntary community sector where I developed my own community interest company and was also joint chair of the Healthwatch Kirklees Board.
Twitter: @shutcake
Sayma Mirza
Sayma works with the Women and Children’s Services across acute secondary care providers in Bradford District and Craven. Her role involves networking across various sectors in the health and social care system across West Yorkshire and Harrogate to help shape and design future services through collaboration with numerous stakeholders.
Sayma has held numerous roles in a variety of clinical settings including Patient Services Manager, Matron, Ward Manager, Ward Sister and Staff Nurse; in an NHS career spanning over a 20 year period. Having recently completed the Ready Now NHS Leadership Academy course; Sayma maintains a keen interest in progressing the inclusion agenda and system leadership.
“Working as part of a BAME collaborative network across the region enables me to actively contribute towards a rich debate to address the inequalities of experiences of BAME people. High level accountability in our system tied with an ambition to making a difference, demonstrates the high level of commitment at all levels, to truly create some positive steps towards addressing the inequalities".
Twitter: @sayma100
Imran Patel
Hi, my name is Imran Patel and I’m a Senior Manager with NHS Bradford District & Craven CCGs. Prior to joining the CCG in 2014, I worked in Local Government for over 15 years and a few years in the voluntary sector in Kirklees. I’ve been fortunate to have served as a Non-Executive Director for WY Strategic Health Authority and NHS Kirklees PCT.
Key areas of my current work include the national transformation programmes for diabetes and also reducing inequalities in the deprived areas of Bradford
A student of life, always looking to learn and share ‘good’ things on twitter.
Twitter: @imranp1971