Ethnic minority doctors 'feel unwelcome' in Wales, says senior doctor

DOCTORS from BAME background in Wales' NHS "feel unwelcome," a senior doctor has claimed, saying that more voices from ethnic minorities in the profession need to be heard by the Welsh government.

Amol Pandit, the co-chair of the British Medical Association's (BMA) Welsh BAME forum and a senior urologist, said that there is "no formal place at the table" for BAME doctors to discuss policy with the government.

Highlighting the BMA's recent survey finding that about 40 per cent of NHS Wales doctors are from Black or ethnic minority backgrounds, Pandit said that “we have had very little recognition and an even smaller voice over the years.”

"Retention becomes an issue because people feel they are not welcome, their voices are not heard - and that needs to change," he claimed, adding that if somebody will listen to these doctors, they won't feel “victimised.”

The BMA study also found that nearly a third of BAME medical students felt that bullying or harassment was a problem in their medical school. Also, BAME students reported incidents of bullying and harassment four times more than their white peers, the survey says.

Pandit also highlighted how those from BAME backgrounds also seem to find it harder to secure training placements in the profession.

"At medical school, we find about 45% of the admissions are of ethnic minority backgrounds. But when it comes to applying for national training, the names are not anonymised and they feel they would be less likely to be called for an interview," he told BBC.

BMA's Welsh BAME forum was established last year, as part of the reaction to the Black Lives Matters movement following the death of George Floyd in America.

Citing the government announcement on its anti-racism race equality plan in March, Pandit argued how forums such as his should have been involved in developing the plan before it was put out to consultation.

Meanwhile, a Welsh government spokesperson clarified that officials have met the BMA BAME forum recently to discuss joint working to implement the plan, including Pandit with whom they discussed “his ideas and how we could work together".

"We look forward to developing a productive working partnership," added the spokesman.