This story was first published in digitalhealth.net
Three-quarters of BAME doctors feat contracting virus
A new survey has revealed that more than three-quarters of black, Asian and minority ethnic doctors are worried about contracting coronavirus in the course of their work.
The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) found that 48 per cent of all doctors who responded to its survey were either concerned or very concerned for their health, a figure that rose to 76 per cent among BAME doctors. Nearly two-thirds were worried about passing the virus on to others at home.
Highlighting the continuing lack of protection for frontline NHS staff, doctors said poor access to personal protective equipment, insufficient training on how to fit masks and lengthy waits for virus testing left them in fear of catching the virus and passing it on to those they lived with.
Prof Andrew Goddard, president of the RCP, said: “Things are nowhere near what we need. People assume everyone’s feeling OK on the frontline and that morale is good, but the survey shows people are worried about it all. The PPE remains a significant issue. Testing has got better, there are still concerns, particularly around delays in getting the results back.
“Concern is very high among BAME doctors and we should not be surprised given the awful situation we’ve had with the deaths of healthcare workers and people in social care from BAME backgrounds. The fact that we’re so reliant on the BAME workforce in the NHS and social care, and the fact that the workforce is so worried about their health, is something we need to wake up to.”
The British Medical Association has recently urged the government to investigate why BAME health workers were contracting the virus in disproportionate numbers. Under guidance set out by NHS bosses, hospitals are now looking to move BAME staff off the frontline for their own safety.
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