Racism has no place in the NHS

26 September 2022

Responding to findings within the State of Black Britain Report by the Black Equity Organisation, the interim deputy chief executive of NHS Providers, Miriam Deakin said:

"Racism has no place in the NHS.

"These important findings are the latest in a long line of evidence highlighting unacceptable structural racism within society and within our health and care system.

"Time and again, we hear how patients from ethnic minority backgrounds have worse experiences of healthcare than their white counterparts. It is deeply concerning that 65% of black people responding to this survey said they had been discriminated against by healthcare professionals because of their ethnicity.

"This must be addressed and everyone – including the NHS and government – must work together to do more to tackle racism within health and care.

"It is only by recognising these facts and having an honest conversation about racism, its structural roots and its impact, that we can achieve change.

"NHS Providers' report Race 2.0 - Time for real change shows the scale of the challenge we face to tackle the impact of structural racism on both patients and staff. To create real change, NHS Providers' race equality programme will support trusts by driving cultural change, increasing their confidence and capability to tackle discrimination in their ranks, and encouraging them to take more accountability for race inequality."