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Home » Can you wear the NHS Rainbow Badge whilst working?

Can you wear the NHS Rainbow Badge whilst working?

The Department of Health published in 2007 an evidence base to support specific requirements of 2008 Health and Social Care Act Code of Practice. It included workwear and uniform policies and hand hygiene. In 2010, the evidence base was updated to include key equality-and diversity measures to accommodate faith communities.
The guidance is available on the Government website. NHS employees and employers have shared their frustrations with accessing and implementing it with local commissioners.

The NHS Improvement and NHS England published the revised Guidance. This joint initiative was led by key stakeholders including the British Medical Association (BMA), University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (- UCLA) to make the guidance more accessible for NHS employees and employers.

These are the revisions to Guidance:

Minor updates to section 1, 2, and 3 regarding policy and law
The Headwear outline builds on the Uniform Policy and Dress Codes developed and implemented May by University College London Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.
Appendix C relates to legal updates after 2010 guidance
To ensure consistency in washing and cleaning, and to comply with any guidance for the duration COVID-19, updates from infection control colleagues.


What does the NHS Rainbow Badge mean?

It is possible that you will see more University Hospital staff wearing the NHS Rainbow badge. This is the most important reason (and it may not be the one that you think) why there are so many NHS Rainbow badge-wearing staff at University Hospitals.

While it is true that the NHS Rainbow was prominent in the response to the covid, the real roots of the NHS Rainbow lie symbolically as a symbol of safety for LGBT+ staff and patients.

Evelina London Children’s Hospitals was the original creator of this badge design. They recognized health inequalities among their LBGT+ patients and felt unable or unwilling to share their information with them.

Staff are sending a message that patients and their families can talk to them about gender and sexuality by pledging to wear this badge and agreeing to uphold its meaning. More than 1,300 healthcare professionals have already signed the pledge.

Lenny Byrne was the Chief Nurse and Director for Integrated Clinical Professions when he arrived in 2019.

Lenny answered a question about the significance and meaning of the NHS Rainbow Badge. “As healthcare professionals we might be first to feel confident enough to share how they feel.” It will be a significant moment in their lives, and the way they respond to it will be a lasting memory.

“As history has shown, these negative experiences can have a lasting effect and lead to health inequality. As many as one in seven LGBT+ people have avoided healthcare because they fear discrimination. This is alarming considering the rising rates of anxiety, depression and other mental illnesses among the LGBT+ community.

“The NHS Rainbow Badge” is a simple symbol that lets people know they can talk to them about their identity, feelings and who they are without fear.

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