Wirral University Teaching Hospital raises Pride Progress Flag as an emblem of support for the LGBTQ+ community

Wirral University Teaching Hospital (WUTH) celebrated Pride month by raising the Progress Pride flag at its Arrowe Park Hospital site.

This is the second time the Trust has raised the flag as an emblem of its support for the LGBTQ+ community, whether they are staff, patients or visitors.

WUTH employs around 6,000 staff and has a richly diverse workforce. It has set up a Rainbow Staff Alliance Network which allows members of staff to meet fellow colleagues, share experiences, offer and receive support, and learn more about the LGBTQ+ community. The Network holds regular meetings that are open to all staff.

The raising of the Pride flag was hosted by WUTH’s Chief Nurse, Tracy Fennell who has a personal passion for the agenda and was proud to say a few words on behalf of Dr Nikki Stevenson, Medical Director and Executive Partner for the WUTH Rainbow Alliance Staff Network.

Tracy said: “It was an honour to mark the raising of the Pride flag at WUTH because it symbolises that no matter your background, sexuality or gender, you are welcome at WUTH and in the NHS. I’m really proud to work for an organisation that values and embraces diversity. I’d like to say thank you to everyone for their support for the LGBTQ+ community, especially those who joined us at the flag raising ceremony today.”

Also present were WUTH’s staff unions representatives, Rainbow Alliance Staff Network Co-chairs, and Freedom to Speak up Lead.

Nikki said: “As Executive Partner for the Rainbow Alliance Staff Network, I couldn’t be more proud of all my colleagues at WUTH. Every day they demonstrate respect for one another, which is one of the Trust’s core values. It’s so important that we celebrate our diverse, inclusive and supportive culture as we enter the month of Pride.”

WUTH is accredited with the Merseyside In-Touch Navajo LGBTIQA+ Chartermark, an equality mark sponsored by In-Trust Merseyside and supported by the LGBTIQA+ Community networks across Merseyside. It is a signifier of good practice, commitment and knowledge of the specific needs, issues and barriers facing LGBTIQA+ people in Merseyside.

Pride Season celebrates LGBTQ+ people in all their diversity, raises awareness, and combats prejudice through education. June is the month when the Stonewall riots took place. These riots changed gay rights for a lot of people in America and around the world. Pride is a celebration of people coming together in love and friendship, to show how far LGBTQ+ rights have come, and recognising that there's still work to be done.

The Progress Pride flag was developed in 2018 by Daniel Quasar, a non-binary American artist and designer who based the design on the rainbow flag from 1978.