RCM warns over presence of race discrimination in the NHS

The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) has highlighted the findings of an NHS England report which found race discrimination still persists in the profession.

The Workforce Race Equality Standard 2016 stated that those from a BAME background are still significantly more likely to experience discrimination at work from colleagues and managers.

The key findings suggested that white applicants are 1.57 times more likely to be appointed from shortlisting, and BAME staff more likely to experience harassment, bullying or abuse.

The report says that there has been an increase in the numbers of BAME midwives at Agenda for Change (AfC) bands 6 to 9 in the last couple of years.
  
The proportion of very senior BAME managers has also increased by 4.4 per cent in two years. However, BAME representation at this level remains significantly lower than BAME representation in the overall NHS workforce and in the local communities served.
 


Amy Leversidge, RCM employment relations advisor, said: “While this report is welcome and some progress has been made, it paints a worrying and disappointing picture of the levels of discrimination in our NHS. 

“All the evidence shows that BAME midwives, MSWs and other NHS staff in the NHS are being treated less fairly than their white colleagues.
 
“There is clearly discrimination in the NHS towards BAME staff and action is needed to tackle this.”

Leversidge added: “The RCM has been working hard to raise awareness of this issue, to seek solutions and to eradicate discrimination in the NHS.

“This report shows that employers in particular have a lot of work to do to ensure that BAME staff are treated fairly in the workplace.”