Coronavirus (COVID-19)
For health information and advice, read our pages on coronavirus. Learn about the government response to coronavirus on GOV.UK.
Covid-19
Contrast

Facebook LogoTwitter Logo

Sign Up

Healthier Futures - Black Lives Matter in the Black Country and West Birmingham

BLM generic banner

Our Black Country and West Birmingham Integrated Care System has a People Board which is responsible for improving the health and wellbeing of our health and care workforce and is committed to making the BCWB the best place to work.

Our People Board has established a Black Lives Matter Working Group in recognition of the social, economic and employment inequalities faced by people from a Black and Asian background in line with the overall objectives in the NHS People Plan. The work of this group is focused on a number of projects designed to stamp out inequality and racism in order to improve the working lives of colleagues from a Black and Asian Background working in Health and Social Care in the region.

The Black Country has a rich cultural heritage and its communities from a Black and Asian background make up 26% of the local population. Research informs us that Britain is becoming increasingly ethnically diverse with over 14% of the population being from Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups (BAME). Ethnic minorities account for 80% of the UK population growth with forecasts showing that by 2050 the ethnic population could rise to a third (20-30%) of the UK’s population.

We know that to provide high quality health and care services to our diverse communities we need to attract recruit and retain more people from diverse backgrounds as we want our workforce to be representative of the communities we serve. We want to become an employer of choice now and in the future .Our Black Lives Matter campaign has been developed to showcase the diversity of colleagues who already work in the region and the aim of this campaign is to highlight what’s great about working in the Black Country and to reiterate that Black Lives Matter in the Black Country and West Birmingham. Together, the healthier futures partnership, will continue to work with partners in the region to solve recruitment challenges that will enable the partnership to attract the best and talented people to consider a career in health and social care.

Please click on the images below to find out why Black Lives Matter in the Black Country and West Birmingham within the Health and Social Care Sector.

  • Alex Villaplaza FB 1200x628 2
  • Barbara Douglas FB 1200x628 2
  • Deborah Strachen FB 1200x628 2
  • Dr Ahmed 1200x628
  • Justin Samuals FB 1200x628 2
  • Maria Tan FB 1200x628 2
  • Ruqayyah Abdulsalam FB 1200x628 2
  • Sundeep Chalal FB 1200x628 2
  • Mark Axcell FB 1200x628
  • Karine Anderson FB 1200x628
  • Misbah Habib FB 1200x628
  • Ned Hobbs 0001 3
  • Daren Fradgley 0001 4
  • V2 Dr Ian Sykes FB 1200x628

    To find out more about a career in Health and Social Care across the Black Country and West Birmingham please click on the links to the various organisations: 

    In The News

    • One record to improve health and care in the Black Country and West Birmingham

      People living in the Black Country and West Birmingham will soon get even better and safer care and treatment, thanks to the introduction of joined-up health and care records. One Health and Care is a new NHS shared care record launching later in the Spring, which will bring together all the separate records held by different local providers of health and social care – such as hospitals and GPs – in one secure, easy to read format. This will give authorised professionals who are directly respo...

    • Wash, wash, wash your hands

      As COVID-19 continues to spread in the area, people across the Black Country and West Birmingham are being reminded of the importance of washing their hands. Regular hand washing with soap and water remains an essential part of good hygiene and helps prevent the spread of COVID-19, as well as other winter illnesses such as colds, flu and stomach bugs. Hands should be washed with warm water and liquid soap for at least 20 seconds before rinsing and drying them thoroughly. If soap and water are ...

    • Executive Recruitment for the Black Country Integrated Care Board

      The Black Country Integrated Care System is looking for future Executives to lead the Integrated Care Board when it is established in July 2022. We are now live with the recruitment to 3 of our 6 future executive roles. Adverts are now live for the roles below: Chief Finance Officer  Chief Medical Officer  Chief Nursing Officer Recruitment to the other executive posts of, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Equality and Innovations Officer and Chief People Officer will start in th...

    • Future NHS Health Board seeks independent non-executives

      The recruitment is now underway to appoint four independent non-executive members to the Black Country Integrated Care Board (ICB). The Integrated Care Board will be formed in April 2022, subject to the passing of the new Health and Care Bill. These new roles represent an opportunity to be on the Governing Body for the future NHS ICB, where non-executive members will help to shape a long-term, viable plan for the delivery of the functions, duties, and objectives of the NHS locally. Their role...

    • Mental health chief named as interim lead for NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board

      Health leaders are delighted to announce the appointment of Mark Axcell as Interim Chief Executive Designate for the Black Country Integrated Care Board (ICB). Mr Axcell is currently Chief Executive of the local mental health and learning disabilities trust, Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, and has more than 25 years’ experience within the NHS. He will take up the interim post from Monday (22 November) and will lead preparations for the launch of the new ICB next year, subject to...

    • Black Country and West Birmingham NHS pledges support to Armed Forces community

      On Monday 8 November, seven NHS organisations from the Black Country and West Birmingham Integrated Care System (ICS) signed the Armed Forces Covenant (AFC) at a virtual signing. The Black Country and West Birmingham ICS, the first ICS to sign up to the Covenant within the West Midland Reserve Forces & Cadets Association’s (RFCA) region, comprises 15 local health and care organisations who are jointly responsible for managing resources, delivering NHS standards, and improving the healt...

    • Online event for people living with diabetes

      Ahead of World Diabetes Day (Sunday 14 November), people living with diabetes across the Black Country and West Birmingham are invited to attend a special webinar taking place on Friday 12 November. Created by International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the World Health Organisation (WHO), World Diabetes Day is celebrated worldwide and aims spread awareness of diabetes. This year marks 100 years since the discovery of insulin, a treatment that has saved millions of lives around the world. To c...

    • Accelerating recovery of diagnostic services with £8million investment

      Following a successful bid, we are pleased to confirm that local NHS trusts are taking part in a national programme to help the NHS further accelerate diagnostic activity and recover services from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic as quickly as possible. Our colleagues across NHS services are working hard to recover services affected by the pandemic, now the vaccine programme has helped to significantly reduce the number of Covid patients needing care. Throughout the pandemic the NHS has con...

    • Walsall people encouraged to take part in ground-breaking blood test cancer trial

      Thousands of letters are being sent to adults in Walsall this week, inviting them to take part in the world’s largest trial of a revolutionary new cancer-detecting blood test. The potentially lifesaving Galleri™ test can detect more than 50 types of cancer before symptoms appear. The NHS-Galleri trial, the first of its kind, aims to recruit 140,000 volunteers nationally, including thousands in the West Midlands, to see how well the test works in the NHS. Walsall is the first location in the We...

    • Recruitment begins for the Black Country Integrated Care Board Chief Executive Officer

      NHS England is advertising for a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to lead the future Black Country Integrated Care Board (ICB). Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) are partnerships of health and care organisations, local government and the voluntary sector. These partnerships aim to meet health and care needs, to coordinate services and to plan in a way that improves population health and reduces inequalities between different groups. From April 2022 (subject to legislation) ICSs will become statutory...