One in eight senior managers in the NHS are from black and
minority ethnic (BME) backgrounds, according to new figures
published today.
The 2024 NHS Workforce Race Equality
Standard (WRES) report showed that 12.7% of staff at very
senior manager level are from these backgrounds – up from one in
nine (11.2%) in 2023.
Overall, this marks an 85% increase since 2018 when there were
201 senior managers with black and minority ethnic backgrounds
compared to 372 in the latest report.
The proportion of all NHS staff from a BME background has also
increased from 26.4% in 2023 to 28.6% as of March 2024.
However, 80% of trusts reported that white applicants were
significantly more likely than BME applicants to be appointed
from shortlisting.
Overall, the percentage of BME staff (48.8%) that felt that their
trust provides equal opportunities for career progression or
promotion was lower than for white staff (59.4%).
The 2024 NHS Workforce Disability
Equality Standard (WDES) report, also published today, found
that disabled people are fairly represented on NHS boards and
that candidates who declare their disability on applications are
just as likely to be appointed to NHS jobs as non-disabled
candidates.
More NHS employers are also making reasonable adjustments that
enable disabled staff to carry out their work compared to
previous years, but disabled staff remain more than twice as
likely to be performance-managed compared to their non-disabled
colleagues. They also experienced higher levels of harassment,
bullying or abuse from managers and other colleagues.
Dr Navina Evans, NHS Chief Workforce, Training and
Education Officer, said:
“It's vital that NHS staff from black and
minority ethnic backgrounds or those with a disability have equal
access to career opportunities so that we can provide the
high-quality care for patients.
“This report shows whilst we have made some progress over the
past year - in particular through better representation of BME
staff in very senior management roles - there is still
much more work to be done to make sure all staff are treated
fairly.
“NHS employers must continue efforts to create an environment
where all staff feel they belong, can safely raise concerns, and
are empowered to deliver the best care possible.”
