Creating Sparkle: Culture, Inclusion, and Leadership with Bernadette Thompson
Welcome back to the Locum's Nest Best Practice series, where we dive into the journeys and insights of incredible NHS colleagues!
For this edition, we had the pleasure of speaking with Bernadette Thompson OBE, Director of People and Culture at North Middlesex University Hospital and Community Services, part of the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust. She is an experienced people and culture leader whose career has spanned the Civil Service, across a number of Government Departments to name a few, the Treasury, Home Office, Ministry of Justice, Cabinet Office and now the NHS.
You've had a remarkable career across the Civil Service and now healthcare. What drew you to the NHS?
Berndette: Coming out of COVID, I was looking for my career next steps that really aligned with my values. And I thought, where else would I go but to the people who kept us alive during the pandemic? I've always been a public sector person at heart, and the NHS just felt like the natural next step. My daughter worked in the nightingale during COVID too, so I'd seen up close what that world looked like. I've now been at North Mid for nearly a year, and it's my third NHS trust in five years.
What would you say is your proudest success or learning moment?
Bernadette: I joined six months into the merger with the Royal Free London Group, so the people agenda was front and centre from day one. A commitment had already been made to check in with staff at 100, 200 and 365 days. Arriving post-100 days, I led the 200- and 365-day listening exercises, creating space to genuinely hear how people were feeling, while also addressing quick win hygiene factors, and supporting the organisation to embed more fully and confidently into the wider group.
Working across different organisational cultures is something I’ve done throughout my career in large, complex organisations like the Home Office. Even within a single division, such as Border Force, culture could vary significantly depending on the region. What that has taught me is that while contexts differ, the constant must be an underlying thread of humanity and empathy at the heart of any culture. Get that right, and you create the conditions to do everything else well.
For me, it’s about stepping in, doing what needs to be done to strengthen that thread, and recognising that culture change is a long game. You don’t shift decades of culture in six months; at best, you begin to see real traction over a couple of years.
My approach is simple and disciplined: pick three priorities, drive them relentlessly, and make sure everyone knows what they are.
NMUH serves one of the most diverse communities in the country. How does that shape your approach to inclusion?
Bernadette: Many of our staff live within the communities we serve, so our workforce is a direct reflection of that community, a rich mix of ethnicities, languages, neurodiversity, and faiths, truly representative of multicultural Britain. For many, the organisation mirrors their lived experience, which is why inclusion is not optional, it is fundamental.
From my perspective, inclusion is about intentionally creating a sense of belonging. That happens through learning and development, raising awareness, and recognising key moments that matter to our people, whether that’s Women’s History Month, Ramadan, Passover, Vaisakhi, Easter, or Orthodox Easter, I could go on. It’s about widening participation, bringing more voices into the conversation, and ensuring inclusion shows up in everyday moments. Alongside this, we take a data-driven approach, interrogating where underrepresentation exists and targeting action where it matters most.
But beyond the data, it comes down to lived experience: creating a workplace where people genuinely feel they belong. Ultimately, our approach to inclusion is one of intention, being inclusive not just by design, but by instinct, in what we do every day.
Locums, bank staff, and agency workers make up a significant part of the NHS workforce. How do you think about culture for that part of the team?
Bernadette: Culture doesn’t differentiate by contract, and neither should we. Whether you’re here for a day or a decade, our shared commitments (formerly values) apply, without exception. And beyond that, there’s a basic standard of humanity, kindness, respect, fairness. That’s non-negotiable. Inclusion isn’t owned by HR; it’s owned by everyone. Culture shows up in the small things, acknowledging people, saying good morning, treating people properly. But culture is also operational. And this is where we often get it wrong. For bank and agency colleagues, day one is everything. If someone turns up and feels lost, no direction, no contact, no welcome, you’ve already told them what kind of organisation you are.
Get the basics right: Clear point of contact, Someone to meet them, Simple orientation
Small actions. Big signal: you matter here
What does success look like for People and Culture at NMUH in the next two to three years?
Bernadette: For me, success is about moving beyond a purely transactional model of HR, focused on metrics like sickness absence and appraisal rates, towards a more holistic, human-centred approach. Those metrics will always matter, but they are not the end goal. The real ambition is to build a culture of belonging, where people feel psychologically safe to speak up, to have honest conversations, and to trust that they are genuinely cared for and this will translate into better metrics.
Creating that kind of culture is not dependent on having the largest budget; it requires intention, consistency, and a degree of creativity. I often describe it as creating “sparkle”, those thoughtful, human moments that signal to staff that they are valued. That can be something structured, like our Women’s History Month initiative where colleagues nominated women who inspired them. The recognition itself was simple, but the impact was meaningful. Equally, it can be small, spontaneous acts, taking time to acknowledge teams after a particularly challenging shift, or a simple message of thanks from a senior leader. These moments matter more than we sometimes realise.
There will always be factors outside of our direct control, particularly in a pressured healthcare environment. However, within our sphere of influence, we have a responsibility to shape the experience of our people. That means being deliberate about how we recognise contribution, how we support our teams, and how we reinforce a culture where people feel seen and valued.
The evidence is clear: when staff feel valued and supported, it drives engagement, improves performance, and ultimately enhances patient care. So, in two to three years’ time, success for me is an organisation where people feel proud to work, where they feel connected to the purpose, and where, even on the most challenging days, there is a sense that this is a place where they belong.
💙 Finally, what's your favourite part of the job, and what keeps your sparkle going?
Bernadette: People call me the People's Princess, and honestly, putting smiles on people's faces is the best part of the job. Full stop. Our staff work is under enormous pressure. Staff are dealing with things that would break most people. So, anything that limits their joy in that environment becomes my enemy.
What keeps me going? My faith, good people, my team, and honesty, people who will tell you when something landed brilliantly and equally when it didn't. I also self-assess myself constantly if I already know I've made a misstep, the feedback I get usually confirms it. I think that self-awareness is part of what keeps me value-driven. I love my work, but I've also learned to play just as hard as I work. I am a bit of a workaholic with very long days, so, my holidays are non-negotiable now, I actively seek places where the laptop simply won't connect.
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Thank you so much to Bernadette for her time, honesty, and energy. Stay tuned for our next blog in the Best Practice series!
We’d love to feature more NHS workforce stories, so contact us if you’d like to have someone in mind and we’ll make it happen!
