ASIAN and black people are dying needlessly and disproportionately because they are not being represented in senior ranks of the NHS, doctors, parliamentarians, and health bosses have told Eastern Eye.
The paper can also reveal that a further 17 BAME doctors have died in the past 10 days from Covid. The doctors’ union, the British Medical Association (BMA), said that brings the total deaths to 33 out of 35 since Public Health England’s (PHE) six-week race review. It was announced on April 16 and the review was published on June 2.
“Black, Asian and ethnic minorities are very good to do all kinds of things, except leadership,” said the BMA’s honorary vice-president, Dr Kailash Chand.
“They are good enough to die, but they are not good enough to lead. Even today, things are going backward, not going forward.”
It is not just the health service where lives are being disproportionately and negatively impacted, said MPs. Every aspect of British society – public and private organisations, the civil service, business, sport and the arts – needs examining to see how racial inequalities cause serious harm to minorities, they said.
The judiciary too is not exempt from the accusation of systemic racism. Government figures show that only six per cent of judges are non-white. One confided to Eastern Eye, “I have had the worst five years of my professional life in the judiciary. The Bar and solicitors have a long way to go. I won’t comment on the judiciary, save to say that it is like the 1980s, and you will remember those days only too well.”
The former shadow equalities secretary and Brent Central Labour MP, Dawn Butler, told Eastern Eye, “It is systemic so it means it is hard-wired into every area of society. We have to have the uncomfortable conversation without anyone feeling alienated. This isn’t a blame game. This is about trying to instil fairness in society and its structures.”
In this week’s Eastern Eye, director of the British Future think-tank, Sunder Katwala, writes, “A third of FTSE 100 companies and six out of 10 FTSE 350 companies still have all-white boards. The black presence is absurdly miniscule, so corporates tweeting the Black Lives Matter hashtag need to turn symbolic support into real change.”
Official government figures show that almost a third (32.2 per cent) of the 277 NHS trusts in England does not have a single black Asian minority ethnic on its board. The latest race equality data reveals that Asian and black health workers are more likely to be harassed, bullied or abused by their managers; face a higher chance of being formally disciplined; and are less likely to get a job when shortlisted for an interview.
Experts believe a lack of representation in the upper echelons can have a devastating effect on the treatment of ethnic minority patients.
“If we don’t have people at the top from a BAME background, clearly those decisions, those policies, will not be as culturally sensitive. That will make a difference in terms of health outcomes,” said Dr Chaand Nagpaul, chair of the BMA.
“It’s really important to have a proper mix of people at the top tier of management so those in leadership positions make sure the policies are culturally sensitive, prioritising the sorts of issues that affect BAME communities.”
Eastern Eye investigated the make-up of Trust boards in towns and cities with high numbers of ethnic minorities. The paper then matched the data with racial inequalities examined by the latest NHS workforce race equality standard (WRES) report and the number of Covid deaths per 100,000 people. It reveals a worrying lack of Asian and black representation and potential for structural racial inequalities.
For example, black and Asian staff at Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust were almost six times (5.6) more likely to end up in formal disciplinary hearings, compared to white colleagues.
Of the 13 board members only two are BAME, and the Office for National Statistics (ONS) says 70 in every 100,000 have died from the virus. The Trust covers Slough, which is 54 per cent non-white, according to 2011 census figures that are almost 10 years out of date.
Slough’s Labour MP, Tan Dhesi, lost his grandmother, uncle, and his brother-in-law’s father to coronavirus. He has been actively campaigning for several years for greater diversity in the boardroom.
Dhesi said, “Representation matters because when we have a diversity of thought at the very highest echelons, with their personal knowledge of the black and Asian communities, they would have ensured discussions were had on obesity, diabetes and other health issues and changes implemented. So, we could have had a greater concentration on issues affecting BAME communities. That’s why we need to change the way things are at the top.”
BAME staff at Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust are almost 11 times more likely to be disciplined than their white colleagues. Ethnic minorities make up 33 per cent of Camden and 32 per cent of Islington. Yet only two of the 15 board members are black or Asian. ONS figures show that 81 in every 100,000 people have died from COVID in Islington and 55 per 100,000 in Camden.
In the Midlands and the north of England, at least 13 Trusts have no ethnic minority representation. These include Oldham, Manchester, Derby, Nottingham and Liverpool, all of which have substantial BAME communities.
“You’re asking all the right questions, but that’s what the board should be doing,” said one former hospital Trust board member from northern England, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. “The non-execs should be telling their chief executive and directors to take the data and map them with the deaths from Covid in high BAME towns and cities.
“The problem is that they don’t put ethnicity on a death certificate. The government’s already said that black and Asians are dying disproportionately from the virus, but no-one is asking the right questions, never mind joining up the dots.”
Eastern Eye has been highlighting the structural and systemic racial inequalities faced by the BAME community in, and those using, the health service, pointing out how this has led to disproportionate numbers of Asian and black people dying from coronavirus. Public Health England (PHE) reached the same conclusions in a report published on Tuesday (16). It makes the same recommendations from experts speaking to this paper over the past six weeks. They include proper risk assessments, adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) often denied to BAME health workers, and better data collection on the ethnicity and occupation of those who have died.
The chair of the Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust is Prem Singh. He is also a senior independent trustee on the NHS Confederation, and a former CEO of the Derby City Primary Care Trust.
At the start of the pandemic, he held focus groups to make sure his organisation involved staff in devising the way risk assessments for workers were carried out. Does he agree that lives are being lost needlessly?
“Yes, because I think we can do more in senior leadership positions. I can do more, and I’m working hard to do that. This is all about leadership and so it has to play a part, but I think we need to think wider than representation at the top.
“We need to think about culture, about the commitment of a cross-section of our staff who represent a cross-section of society. So how do we gain a social movement to create committed staff who are culturally competent so that everyone’s concerned and not just BAME staff?”
His Trust is operating a ‘reverse mentoring’ scheme where junior BAME colleagues mentor more experienced non-BAME leaders. Singh is being counselled by a disabled member of staff.
“We’re learning, and we’re not 100 per cent there. We need to make sure the entire NHS staff are more culturally equipped. We’re encouraging white colleagues to join the BAME network because when we have white members of society marching with BAME people, showing their anger at what happened to George Floyd, we start to see social movement.”
Singh’s call to change culture across the NHS is echoed by the doctors’ union.
“Our BMA surveys show that twice as many BAME doctors don’t feel able to speak out when they have concerns about safety,” said Dr Nagpaul. “That’s because they feel excluded, they feel they may be blamed, they feel it might affect their career prospects.”
The neighbouring Derbyshire Healthcare is only one of eight Trusts in England with a BAME chief executive. Ifti Majid told Eastern Eye that his Trust collaborated with black and Asian staff to create a personalised risk assessment process.
“To date, 441 risk assessments have been completed, and we are asking that these be reviewed on a monthly basis,” said Majid. “While diversity at senior levels in the NHS must be improved, all healthcare leaders have a responsibility to set the tone in respecting others, respecting difference and valuing diversity.”
But Eastern Eye has also found that the number of BAME board members may not necessarily mean racial inequalities will be fewer. At the Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust, white applicants shortlisted for interviews were almost three times (2.73) more likely to get the job compared to BAME candidates, according to data from the NHS Workforce Race Equality Standard. Of the 18 board members, six are black or Asian, including the chair.
One board member who wished to stay anonymous said, “In some cases, being the only black or Asian NED (non-executive director) can be difficult because your voice can be drowned out. If you are the only director, and you’re not a medic, then you either don’t feel confident to challenge or you don’t want to scupper your career. So, the government might want greater diversity on boards, but they need to be the right NEDs.”
Eastern Eye approached the Trusts named in this report for comment, but most declined.
A spokesperson for the Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, where none of its 17 board members is BAME said, “It is not possible to predict, and there is no evidence to determine whether a BAME board member would have made a difference to our approach to BAME risk assessment. We took proactive action to include BAME factors in our risk assessments.”
Meanwhile Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, which too has no BAMEs on its board and a four per cent non-white population said, “The apparent disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on BAME colleagues in healthcare is an issue affecting all healthcare organisations and is one that Barnsley takes very seriously.”
THE US State Department on Monday said it was imposing visa restrictions on owners and staff of travel agencies in India who it says knowingly facilitate illegal migration to the United States.
An unspecified number of individuals associated with these travel agencies are being subjected to visa bans under the Immigration and Nationality Act. The action is based on information collected by the US mission in India, according to department spokesperson Tammy Bruce.
Washington often imposes such visa restrictions without naming the individuals involved.
"We will continue to take steps to impose visa restrictions against owners, executives, and senior officials of travel agencies to cut off alien smuggling networks," Bruce said. She did not provide details on how the travel agents had facilitated illegal migration.
The action is part of a broader effort under president Donald Trump's administration to curb migration to the United States and deport undocumented immigrants already in the country.
The US embassy in New Delhi has also issued repeated warnings on its social media platforms, advising Indian nationals visiting the United States not to overstay their authorised period of stay. It warned that overstaying could lead to deportation and a permanent ban from entering the country.
The Spain Airbnb crackdown has led to more than 65,000 holiday rental listings being removed from the platform, as the Spanish government takes firm action to address breaches in national regulations and respond to growing housing concerns.
The Ministry of Consumer Affairs ordered the mass delisting due to thousands of properties lacking valid licence numbers, having unclear ownership records, or showing discrepancies between listed information and official housing databases. The government said these violations warranted immediate removal from Airbnb’s platform.
This action is part of a wider effort to bring order to Spain’s short-term rental sector and alleviate the country's worsening housing affordability crisis, especially in major tourist destinations such as Madrid, Andalusia and Catalonia, where the volume of tourist rentals has surged.
Consumer Affairs Minister Pablo Bustinduy said the government aimed to end what he described as a “lack of control” and growing “illegality” in the holiday rentals market. “No more excuses. Enough with protecting those who make a business out of the right to housing in our country,” he said during a press briefing.
The decision follows a broader trend of local authorities in Spain cracking down on tourist rentals. In 2023, the city of Barcelona announced a plan to eliminate all 10,000 of its licensed short-term lets by 2028, arguing that housing must be prioritised for long-term residents rather than tourists.
The Spain Airbnb crackdown reflects rising pressure on public officials to act, as protests continue over high rents and property prices, particularly in cities with large tourism industries. Many residents and campaigners argue that the expansion of short-term rentals has significantly reduced the availability of affordable housing.
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According to official data, there were approximately 321,000 licensed holiday rental properties across Spain as of November 2023, representing a 15% increase compared to 2020. Authorities believe many more operate without licences, prompting the Consumer Affairs Ministry to open a formal investigation into Airbnb in December.
In response to earlier scrutiny, Airbnb said it requires hosts to confirm they have permission to rent their properties and that they follow local laws. However, the company also claimed the government had not provided a clear list of non-compliant listings. It added that not all owners are required to hold a licence and questioned whether the ministry had the authority to regulate digital platforms.
Airbnb has yet to issue a formal response to the latest action.
The Spain Airbnb crackdown aligns with similar efforts across Europe, including in Portugal, the Netherlands and parts of Italy, where governments are introducing stricter regulations on short-term rentals in a bid to balance tourism with long-term housing needs.
As Spain continues to grapple with housing shortages and rising costs, the government has made clear that further measures may follow to ensure platforms and property owners comply with national laws.
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The man stood up during a Teams call to adjust a cable behind his computer, without wearing any trousers.
A MANAGER was sacked from the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) after accidentally flashing his genitals during a video call, an employment tribunal has ruled.
The digital production manager, referred to as DB in the tribunal’s ruling, was earning £58,580 a year when the incident occurred. He stood up during a Teams call to adjust a cable behind his computer, without wearing any trousers, The Telegraph reported.
The tribunal said: “During the call, after approximately three minutes 26 seconds, the claimant stood to adjust a cable behind the computer and revealed he was wearing nothing from the waist down. His genitals were visible.”
Two Capgemini consultants based in India, who were on the call, complained to the FSCS the following week. An internal investigation concluded the staffer was “inappropriately dressed” and “naked from the waist down.”
DB, born in India, in the employment tribunal’s ruling, told his line manager in an email that he did not realise his camera was on and closed his laptop when he noticed. He was dismissed in January 2024 for breaching FSCS rules requiring employees to be dressed appropriately.
He later filed a complaint for unfair dismissal and racial discrimination. The tribunal ruled the dismissal was lawful and said his discrimination claims were not well founded, The Telegraph reported.
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He was jailed in October after admitting to breaching an injunction that barred him from repeating false claims about a Syrian refugee who had successfully sued him for libel. (Photo: Getty Images)
STEPHEN YAXLEY-LENNON, also known as Tommy Robinson, is set to be released from prison within a week after the High Court reduced his 18-month sentence for contempt of court.
The far-right anti-Islam activist was jailed in October after admitting to breaching an injunction that barred him from repeating false claims about a Syrian refugee who had successfully sued him for libel.
The Solicitor General had taken legal action against Yaxley-Lennon for comments made in online interviews and a documentary titled Silenced, which was viewed millions of times and shown in Trafalgar Square in July.
The sentence was made up of a 14-month punitive element and a four-month coercive element. Mr Justice Jeremy Johnson had said the four-month part could be lifted if Yaxley-Lennon complied with the court order to remove Silenced and related content from social media and other platforms.
On Tuesday, Yaxley-Lennon appeared via video link from HMP Woodhill in Milton Keynes. His lawyer, Alex Di Francesco, told the court that Silenced had been removed from accounts under his control and that requests were made to remove other interviews where the false allegations were repeated.
Judge Johnson ruled that Yaxley-Lennon had “purged” his contempt. “The practical effect is that the defendant will be released once he has completed the punitive element, which I understand will be within the next week,” he said. The original release date had been set for 26 July, but it has now been moved up to 26 May.
The judge noted that while there was “an absence of contrition or remorse”, Yaxley-Lennon had given assurances that he would comply with the injunction in the future and understood the consequences of breaching it again. The court accepted that he had shown a “change in attitude” and had taken steps to comply with the order.
Yaxley-Lennon, 42, was jailed for 10 admitted breaches of the injunction after two contempt of court claims were brought against him by the Solicitor General. The injunction was first issued in 2021 after he falsely accused a Syrian teenager in a viral video of being violent. The teenager later won a libel case against him.
He was accused by some media and politicians of inflaming tensions that led to riots across Britain in July and August last year, following the murder of three girls at a dance workshop in Southport.
In January, a post from his social media account claimed that US billionaire Elon Musk was paying some of his legal fees. Musk has not confirmed this.
(With inputs from agencies)
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The first lady described the law as a "national victory"
US First Lady Melania Trump has welcomed a new law criminalising the non-consensual sharing of explicit images, including AI-generated deepfake content, calling it a major step towards protecting children and families from online exploitation.
The Take It Down Act, signed into law by President Donald Trump, makes it a federal offence to post "intimate images", whether real or digitally fabricated, without the subject’s consent. Under the legislation, individuals found guilty of intentionally distributing such content could face up to three years in prison. The law also compels technology companies to remove the offending material within 48 hours of notification.
The bill, which passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, 409 votes to 2 in the House of Representatives and unanimously in the Senate in February, has been one of the most widely backed pieces of legislation during Trump’s second term in office. It marks the sixth bill signed into law since his re-election, with the administration often favouring executive orders to implement its agenda.
Melania Trump, who has largely kept a low public profile, played a key role in advancing the legislation. The first lady described the law as a "national victory" and stressed its importance in shielding children from harmful online behaviour.
“This legislation is a powerful step forward in our efforts to ensure that every American, especially young people, can feel better protected from their image or identity being abused,” she said. “It will help parents and families safeguard children from online exploitation.”
Melania Trump first appeared publicly in support of the legislation in March during a solo roundtable event on Capitol Hill, where she urged lawmakers to pass the bill. “It’s heartbreaking to witness young teens, especially girls, grappling with the overwhelming challenges posed by malicious online content, like deepfakes,” she said at the time.
The law addresses two main forms of abuse: revenge porn the non-consensual sharing of intimate real images and deepfake pornography, where AI is used to create fake explicit material by inserting someone’s face into pornographic content. These practices have become increasingly common, particularly targeting women and public figures.
Paris Hilton, businesswoman and DJ, publicly supported the legislation, calling it “a crucial step toward ending non-consensual image sharing online”. Major tech firms, including Meta, TikTok and Google, have also backed the new law.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the first lady was “instrumental” in rallying support for the bill and ensuring its passage through Congress.
Despite the strong support, the legislation has attracted criticism from some digital rights organisations. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) warned that the law’s broad scope could have unintended consequences for free speech and privacy.
“While protecting victims of these heinous privacy invasions is a legitimate goal, good intentions alone are not enough to make good policy,” the group said. “As currently drafted, the Act mandates a notice-and-takedown system that threatens free expression, user privacy, and due process, without addressing the problem it claims to solve.”
The Internet Society, another advocacy group for digital privacy, raised concerns that the law could undermine encryption and pose “unacceptable risks to users’ fundamental privacy rights and cybersecurity”.
Critics argue that the bill, while well-intentioned, lacks adequate safeguards to prevent misuse and could result in overreach, affecting legal online content, including LGBTQ+ material, adult entertainment, and political commentary.
Nonetheless, supporters maintain that the new law fills a critical gap in US legislation by targeting a growing form of online abuse and sending a strong message against digital exploitation.