The NHS Muslim Network was honoured to host a virtual Eid Al-Adha Celebration and Learning Event on Tuesday, 19 July 2022. 

We would like to thank all of our Muslim colleagues, allies and friends that attended the event and participated. The event was supported by a range of fantastic guest speakers, which included:

  • Amanda Pritchard – Chief Executive, NHS England.
  • Em Wilkinson-Brice – National Director for People, NHS England.
  • Dr Habib Naqvi – Director, NHS Race and Health Observatory.
  • Angela Paradise – Director of Human Resources and Organisational Development, South East London Integrated Care Board (SELICB).
  • Wasia Shahain – Senior Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Manager, South East London Integrated Care Board (SELICB).
  • Ihtishaam Malik – Outgoing Co-Chair, NHS Muslim Network.
  • Zainab Garba-Sani – Outgoing Co-Chair, NHS Muslim Network.

In this event the guests acknowledged the efforts Muslim staff have been making within the NHS. The event included:

  • Learning about Eid Al-Adha and why do Muslims celebrate it along with it’s importance.
  • Appreciation for staff especially during the pandemic and system changes.
  • Importance of inclusive and compassionate leadership.
  • Importance of bringing your whole authentic self to work.
  • Importance of inclusion and equity in the workplace.

We had some great engagement during the session, which included a word-cloud of what our members and allies did to celebrate Eid Al-Adha, presented below for your enjoyment:

No doubt Eid day for Muslims around the world is a joyous occasion spent with family and friends, exchanging gifts, eating great food and praising God.

But have you ever wondered what the components of Eid are that contribute to this overall aura of happiness and joy? Here are 3 points I have reflected on.

Self-care and looking your best: Research shows how we feel about ourselves on the inside can be influenced by our outer appearance. There is a stark difference between the day you put effort into your appearance and the day you don’t. On Eid day, we are encouraged to wear our finest, be well groomed and put our best foot forward and that is why it’s no surprise we naturally feel elated.

Giving to others: Being charitable and giving to the poor and needy has high rank in our religion and even on our religious celebrations, that is not overlooked. Giving to others whether that be monetary or through your time, efforts, an encouraging smile is something that contributes to our sense of humanity and our natural inclination to help others.

With hard work comes reward: Ever wondered why each of our two Eids take place after a period of intense worship and God consciousness? Having Eid strategically placed between these two holy periods in the Islamic calendar gives us something to look forward to and a sense of well-earned reward.

Sadly, we won’t see another Eid for quite some time (may we be allowed to reach it) but as we journey through these coming months until next Ramadan, take a moment to either groom yourself well, go out of your way to help someone else, or set up a reward after a very busy work season and hopefully you can replicate that Eid feeling.

By Arli Aden. Analytical Officer. Commercial Medicines Directorate

University of Bath is looking for participants, who believe they are experiencing or have experienced the menopause in the workplace

Researchers want to investigate women’s and individual’s menopausal experiences, the positive and negative to see how it impacts them in the workplace. 

What will you be asked to do? Participation will involve the completion of an online survey. The survey should take no longer than 20 minutes to complete. All data submitted will be anonymous.

Who can take part? We are looking for women, men, non-binary or individuals who prefer to self-describe

  •  You are experiencing or have experienced the menopause
  •  You are currently working or who have previously worked
  •  18 years and over, up to the age of 65
  •  Residing in the U.K

This study is being led by the University of Bath, Department of Health.

Want to learn more? Contact the team

  • Chloe Kyriacou: ck770@bath.ac.uk
  • Dr Joanne Cranwell: j.cranwell@bath.ac.uk
  • Dr Jeffrey Lambert: jl2426@bath.ac.uk
Take part in the survey

The merging of the new NHS England presents  a significant opportunity to do things differently. The move enables working in partnership through integrated care systems, including the establishment of 42 NHS integrated care boards as statutory bodies from 1 July 2022.  This will provide NHS England with an opportunity to support and accelerate these system changes.

Any changes to new structure(s) will be staged to ensure that the organisation can continue to manage critical work.

As a network we will be here to provide support to any of our members who are going through this process. 

For more information you can visit the hub, the intranet, or HEE Connect for further information.