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https://www.positive.news/society/a-celebration-of-migration-portrait-series-salutes-nhs-workers/>
"A moving portrait series by photographer and Oscar-nominated director JJ Keith
has been released, celebrating the pivotal role migrant workers play in keeping
the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) running.
He has teamed up with Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust as part of his
wider
Open Britain: Portrait of a Diverse Nation project. The latest
collaboration features 23 NHS workers from the trust, all of whom contribute to
keeping the NHS running. All, from porters to trauma surgeons, are
first-generation migrants.
It is estimated that 17% of the NHS workforce are non-British nationals but the
figure for first generation migrants is likely to be even higher. The NHS is
under severe pressure, as highlighted by a recent report by Lord Dazi. Arguably
it may have already failed without the sacrifices many of these people make in
moving to the UK.
The series came after following a chance meeting of JJ Keith and one of the
paediatricians who works at the trust, Prof Bob Klaber. “Healthcare has people
at its heart – our patients, the communities we serve and the wonderful staff
who deliver the care,” said Prof Klaber. “JJ’s beautiful portraits bring to
life the remarkable stories of so many of our incredible colleagues who have
brought their compassion, kindness and expertise, from across the globe, to
everything we do across our hospitals.”
JJ Keith told
Positive News that he wanted people to be reminded of the
diversity within the NHS, and how important these workers are. “The feelings
and thoughts I want to inspire are as diverse as the people and stories
themselves but if I had to pick just one it would be gratitude,” he said.
Through the ongoing project
Open Britain: Portrait of a Diverse Nation, Keith
has spent 18 months documenting the lives and experiences of more than 130
first-generation migrants, showcasing the ‘rich tapestry of cultures that make
up the fabric of British society’.
Below, we share five stories from the latest collaboration with Imperial."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
