NHS LOTHIAN | STAFF NETWORKS
Disabled Employee Network (DEN)
Around 40% of the workforce have some form of impairment – some lesser and others higher – which can impact on their working and personal lives. The social model of disability sees the person first and argues that the barriers people face, in combination with their impairments, are what disables them.
The Disabled Employee Network (DEN) welcomes any member of NHS Lothian staff who identifies as disabled, neurodivergent, or with a long-term health condition. You don’t need a formal diagnosis, and you don’t need to disclose your condition to your line manager or to other DEN members.
The aim of DEN is to encourage contact, support and friendship among members of staff who self identify as having an impairment or disability, bringing together diverse staff from across NHS Lothian into an environment where issues of disability can be discussed in confidence and where advice and information can be sought. DEN will raise the profile of disability in NHS Lothian in a staff centred way. DEN will research best practice on workplace disability and will gather members’ experiences to better inform NHS Lothian on how best practice can benefit organisational goals and foster good employee relations.
Meetings
All meetings take place in our Teams channel. Contact us if you would like to receive the Teams invitation.
Next meeting:
Our next meeting is Thursday 27 February 18.00-19.00.
Future meetings:
- Thursday 20 March 12.30-13.30
- Thursday 24 April 18.00-19.00
- Thursday 29 May 12.30-13.30 (Disability Pride planning)
- Thursday 26 June 18.00-19.00
- Thursday 24 July 12.30-13.30
- Thursday 21 August 18.00-19.00 (DHM planning)
- Thursday 25 September 12.30-13.30
- Thursday 30 October 18.00-19.00
- Thursday 27 November 12.30-13.30 (2026 planning)
- Thursday 18 December 18.00-19.00
DEN Chairs Blog
World Cancer Day and International Childhood Cancer Day
by Emma Chalmers, DEN co-chair
February is a month of awareness when it comes to cancer as we have both World Cancer Day on the 4th and International Childhood Cancer Day on the 15th.
To mark this, Emma has written a small article on cancer and some things you may be surprised to learn.
Cancer is one of the biggest killers internationally, with estimations that 1 in every 2 people will be diagnosed in their lifetime. What is more promising though is that 50% of those people will survive to 10 years and beyond.
Cancer treatments have been around since when Marie Curie discovered Radium in 1898, and people began to be treated for skin cancers with this radiation. Since then, the treatment options for all cancers have grown exponentially with some of the more recent treatments being made from a patients own genetically modified immune cells. Clinical trials are consistently growing year on year to help find more and more effective treatments.
Cancer is not the life sentence that it was 50 years ago, and many people now live with it as a chronic illness.
There is no way to predict if someone will develop cancer in their lifetime, but we do know that 4 in 10 cancers are preventable with lifestyle modifications. The biggest is to not smoke or vape. Others include avoid drinking alcohol above recommended amounts, eating fresher foods and avoiding ultra-processed foods, reducing stress in our lives and keeping to a healthy weight (obesity is the 3rd biggest cause of cancer according to the WHO). Ways to reduce your risk also include having good cardiovascular health, so exercising regularly, and ensuring that your emotional wellbeing is being taken care of.
There are hundreds of supportive groups and charities for both patients and their loved ones, as well as for those of us who care for cancer patients in hospital, but I would recommend two personally, especially as there are physical locations to attend- Maggie’s (WGH, behind ward 1) and Macmillan (on the Main Corridor in WGH).
Cancer is still a big and scary diagnosis, but no one is alone.
Contact Us
Contact us to be added to the mailing list and receive the Teams link.
