According to new figures from the NHS, one in eight senior managers in the NHS are from black and minority ethnic (BME) backgrounds.
The 2024 NHS Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES) report showed that 12.7 per cent of staff at very senior manager level are from BME backgrounds.
This is up from 11.2 per cent in 2023 and is an 85 per cent increase from 2018.
The proportion of all NHS staff from a BME background has also increased from 26.4% in 2023 to 28.6 per cent in March 2024.
80 per cent of trusts reported that white applicants were significantly more likely than BME applicants to be appointed from shortlisting and overall, 48.8 per cent of BME staff felt that their trust provides equal opportunities for career progression or promotion compared to 59.4 per cent for white staff.
The 2024 NHS Workforce Disability Equality Standard (WDES) report has also been published. It 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 making reasonable adjustments that enable disabled staff to carry out their work compared to previous years, however 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.”
