12 March 2021
Responding to the NHS Staff Survey 2020, Dr Dave Chung, co-chair of the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, said:
“Once again we clearly see the disparities between white members of staff and staff from an ethnic minority background.
“The most shocking finding is that one third of staff from an ethnic minority background do not believe they have equal opportunities or career progression – compared to just 10% of their white colleagues.
“The report also shows that staff from an ethnic minority background feel less safe at work and feel less safe in speaking up than their white counterparts.
“This report, along with NHS England’s recent Workforce Race Equality Standard 2020, spotlights the severity of race inequality within the NHS.
“But reports do nothing without swift action to resolve these issues. We must ensure that staff from an ethnic minority feel safe, feel they have opportunity and feel heard and valued.”
Dr Hodon Abdi, co-chair of the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, said:
“The report reveals some stark disparities. 47% of ethnic minority staff have reported working on a covid ward compared to 31% of their white counterparts.
“These proportions are particularly shocking as NHS England’s recent Workforce Race Equality Standard 2020 revealed that less than one quarter of the NHS workforce is made up of staff from an ethnic minority background.
“Covid has disproportionally effected ethnic minority communities, yet nearly half of ethnic minority staff have worked on a covid ward.
“I am deeply saddened by the findings; it shows that we have a long way to go in closing the gaps and working towards better protecting ethnic minority staff and making the health service a more equal workplace.”
