Responding to NHS England's latest Workforce Disability Equality Standard report, the director of policy and strategy at NHS Providers, Miriam Deakin said:

"Trusts will welcome this latest report and the areas where slow, but steady progress is being made to make the NHS a more welcoming and inclusive workplace for disabled staff.

"It's encouraging to see year-on-year increases in both the number of disabled people at board level and those declaring a disability to their employer.

"Trusts know there is more do to. The analysis of impacts for people with more than one protected characteristic, for the first time, is a helpful and significant step forward.

"As with last year, there is a worrying gap between the proportion of disabled staff identifying themselves anonymously within the NHS staff survey and those who feel confident to do so directly to their employer. More must be done to tackle this.

"It is also very concerning to see another increase in the number of disabled staff facing performance management processes. Reports that disabled staff are more likely to experience bullying, harassment or abuse from patients and colleagues compared to non-disabled staff are similarly worrying.

"Any kind of discrimination is unacceptable."