Wednesday 24 July 2024
A new award has been launched in honour of an inspiring registrar who died suddenly in April 2022 aged 35.
The Dr Salma Hussain EDI (Equity, Diversity & Inclusion) Impact Award will be given annually in honour of Salma (Sally) Hussain who was an A&E registrar in Manchester. Sally had a deep passion for paediatric emergency medicine and was a strong advocate for equality, diversity, and inclusion.
The award will be given to recognise an EDI related initiative or quality improvement project which has made a positive and sustained impact upon vulnerable colleagues or patients who face direct or indirect discrimination within Emergency Departments. The winning team or department will be awarded £500 towards sustaining their EDI initiative.
Dr Sivanthi Sivanadarajah, co-chair of the College’s EDI Committee, said: “We have been delighted to be able to work with Salma’s family to help launch this award, which is a truly fitting way to remember her and honour her work. Her aspirational work not only highlighted the importance of equitable healthcare but also motivated her colleagues to strive for a more inclusive environment.”
Salma was a member of the College’s EDI committee, championed inclusivity and actively worked to address disparities in healthcare.
Dr Nasar Aslam, Salma’s husband, commented: “We know that Salma’s unwavering commitment and clear passion made a lasting impact on those who had the fortune to work with her. Her dedication to these causes was evident in her every action, inspiring those around her.
“We are truly humbled that an award is being made in her honour and hope that through this award her legacy can live on.”
The award will recognise Salma’s passion for equity, diversity and inclusion and reflects RCEM’s continued commitment to foster and embed positive culture change in the NHS, making civility, equity, diversity and inclusion key measures of success and safety for our workforce and our patients. The award will recognise and celebrate an exemplar department’s outstanding and exceptional contribution to EDI.
Applications can now be made – full details on how to do this are here and the deadline is 6 September 2024.
Submissions will be judged by a panel including clinicians from the College and a lay representative from Salma’s family and friends. The Dr Salma Hussain EDI Impact Award winner will be invited to receive their award and present their work at the Spring Continuous Professional Development Conference in 2025.
Dr Salma ‘Sally’ Hussain “made a lasting impact on those who had the fortune to work with her.”
