NHS diversity ‘in poor health'

by NADEEM BADSHAH

NHS bosses have been criticised for failing behind on diversity, after figures showed 88 per cent of board members of health trusts are white.

Government data also revealed that 96 health service trusts lacked non-white board members, although in 12 of them, some board members did not declare their ethnicity.

More than half (58.4 per cent) of NHS trusts had at least one board member from a BAME background, while only 13 per cent had three or more board members from a minority community. NHS trusts in London had the most diverse board members, while those in southern England had the smallest percentage of BAME members.

Dr Chaand Nagpaul, the British Medical Association’s (BMA) council chair, said for a service that “prides itself on values of fairness and equality, this cannot be allowed to persist in the 21st century.”

He told Eastern Eye: “BAME doctors make up more than a third of the medical workforce and play a vital role in delivering care to patients across the country.

“However, as these figures show, BAME people are vastly under-represented at hospital board level, and clearly not reflective of the diversity in their workforce.

“This also reflects BAME doctors not progressing as well in their careers compared to their white counterparts. Despite their commitment and hard work, we know there is an attainment gap between BAME doctors in the NHS and their white peers, with evidence showing that this is not down to lack of ability.

“We also know that BAME doctors are less likely to be shortlisted for and be appointed

to hospital consultant posts, despite more of them applying for positions at the end of their training than their white counterparts.

“The BMA will continue to loudly and robustly campaign for all doctors to be treated equally so that we realise the full potential of the medical workforce to care for patients.”

The statistics in March also showed that Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Wirral Community NHS Foundation Trust in Merseyside, Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust in the Midlands, West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust and Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in Cheshire were among the bodies with 100 per cent white board members.

The East London NHS Foundation Trust had eight board members from an ethnic background, while the Black Country Partnership NHS Foundation Trust in the West Midlands had the highest percentage of board members from an ethnic group (50 per cent).

Balraj Purewal, director of the Asian Health Agency in London, believes the focus should be on services geared towards BAME communities rather than having “token representation” among decision makers.

He told Eastern Eye: “Boards need to look at how they connect with the reality of areas of operation.

“It’s an issue of responsibility of white board members to address areas of inequality

and racism. They are aware of the factors that inhibit BAME people onto boards, but they have been paying lip service for years.

“Positive discrimination is the answer to an extent to address the imbalance but it’s the fact that inequalities against BME communities continue to exist.”

Purewal added: “Those that co-opt within the system, they are so out of touch with their communities that you may as well as have white boards.

“Local community groups should nominate their own representatives as the positioning of issues of whites and others is not responsive or accountable to the communities.

“Having [BAME] people here and there has never solved the problem. They become

the first line of defence for white institutions. They should be negotiating with communities, but they are not even consulting with us.”

NHS trusts must ensure BAME groups are fairly represented among their staff under the Race and Relations Amendments Act 2000.

GP Kailash Chand said: “There are huge disparities of all sorts in the BAME population, not just in poorer health outcomes but also in how BAME staff are treated by some organisations as well as the evidence that many BAME doctors and nurses have a significant pay gaps.”

He added: “These disparities can be demoralising and are better addressed when the make-up of senior organisations have proportionate representation.

“And, of course, for many communities, it matters a lot that they see the people at the top have that mixed representation from all backgrounds. The organisation must have the ‘feel’ that it is reflective of the community it serves.”

Some NHS Trusts have equality, diversity and inclusion leads.

Stephen Hart, managing director of the NHS Leadership Academy, was recently involved in an evaluation of its Aspiring Chief Executive programme.

He said: “This programme has demonstrably changed participants’ attitude, and impact, on creating and sustaining inclusive cultures. The evidence of impact is based on improvement in measures in participants’ organisations.

“Some participants have introduced reverse staff mentoring from junior BAME staff – experienced during the programme, for example.

“These, and other interventions based around hearing others’ lived experience, have enabled CEOs and their boards to have the challenging conversations that may previously have been avoided.

“The diversity piece was the biggest difference for me.

“I’ve always prided myself on trying to be very fair and inclusive, but I think I was doing that in a passive way rather than in an active way.”