Four episodes of new podcast series United Colours: Voices from the LGBT+ Staff Network at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust were released in February, with a view to sharing some of the highs and lows of working in a busy NHS Trust for LGBTQ+ colleagues.
United Colours was the idea of Paul Carruthers, Lead Nurse for the Trust’s Gender Identity Development Service and Children’s Endocrine Nurse Specialist Team, and Chair of the Trust’s LGBTQ+ staff network. He wanted to give colleagues an opportunity to tell their individual stories, from their perspectives and to have the platform to do that, with a view that they might help and support others.
The four episodes highlight Be, a nurse and mother who identifies as a lesbian; Bean, a non-binary clinical support worker; Dr Ellie Kane, a palliative care consultant who is a transgender woman; and Nas, a gay Muslim nurse who is HIV positive.
Paul said: “I am so proud of my colleagues who have taken the brave step to put their stories out there and the podcast is a fantastic listen, for anyone and everyone interested in human stories.
“This is the first time we have created such a bold podcast series and we’ve been really pleased with the positive feedback that we’ve received from so many people.”
While each podcast episode tells a different story, the colleagues are united in their belief that they work for an open and supportive Trust, where they have been allowed the opportunity to truly be themselves. The hope is that the series will encourage most colleagues to feel supported and part of a positive community at Leeds Teaching Hospitals.
The series can be accessed on all main podcast platforms, including Apple and Spotify.
