An independent taskforce has been launched today to develop practical recommendations for improving diversity in the NHS communications workforce.

The taskforce will be led by Edna Boampong, director of communications and engagement at Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care Board and hosted by the NHS Confederation, NHS Providers and the Centre for Health Communications Research (CHCR), as part of their NHS Communicate partnership. Edna will join the NHS Confederation on secondment as the programme director for Diverse and Inclusive Communications.

Establishing a taskforce on diversity in NHS communications was the main recommendation from The State of NHS Communications report published by the NHS Confederation, NHS Providers and CHCR in March 2024.

The report found that less than 5% of the most senior NHS communications professionals are from an ethnic minority background, and 61% of senior NHS communicators said they did not have a communications workforce representative of their local communities. Although this is not a like for like comparison due to the differences in seniority between the respective survey samples used, the latest CIPR 'Census' report found that 12% of the professionals identify as being from an ethnic minority background.

The taskforce will identify the barriers holding back progress and practical solutions that will help NHS communications professionals and their executive teams improve diversity at all levels within the workforce, particularly in senior roles.

Edna Boampong, taskforce chair and programme director for Diverse and Inclusive Communications, said: "I am delighted to be leading this important taskforce on an issue that I am very passionate about. We need communications and engagement teams that reflect the communities they serve. This will help organisations engage more effectively with diverse communities and support the strategic aims of integrated care systems, which include improving health outcomes and reducing inequalities.

"We know this isn't a unique issue for the communications profession; it permeates across the leadership of the NHS. I want the work of our taskforce to not only speak to and support communications professionals, but also to challenge and support wider executive teams to take positive and sustained action.

"By championing diverse voices and perspectives at every level and in every profession, we not only strengthen our ability to serve all communities more effectively, but also cultivate more inclusive workplaces, which will help us recruit and retain the next generation of diverse leaders."

The taskforce is currently being recruited and members will be announced shortly. Membership will include communication and engagement leaders from across NHS organisations, including Claire Riley, chief corporate services officer, North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board, Antony Tiernan, former communications director at NHS England and the London Ambulance Service and Ranjeet Kaile, executive director of communications, stakeholder engagement and public affairs, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. Membership will also include experts from other parts of the public sector, experts in equality, diversity and inclusion, and HR specialists.

The taskforce will agree its terms of reference at its first meeting and is expected to report its findings and recommendations before the end of the year. It will focus on ethnic diversity in the first instance but may also address other areas of diversity that are lacking within the communications workforce.

Daniel Reynolds, director of communications at the NHS Confederation, said: "The NHS communications profession has long held the ambition to improve the ethnic diversity of its workforce. But for various reasons, this continues to elude the profession and we are missing out on opportunities to attract and retain more diverse talent. Our taskforce will identify practical solutions to help NHS communications professionals and executive teams to change this."

Adam Brimelow, director of communications at NHS Providers, said: "We continue to see a concerning lack of diversity among our most senior roles, particularly when it comes to ethnicity. As our survey report from March showed, we are almost certainly going backwards. We need to understand why and, more importantly, develop strategies to turn the tide. The taskforce will provide a renewed focus in this area."

John Underwood, director of the Centre for Health Communication Research, said: "Embracing diversity and inclusivity should not be an optional extra for NHS communications leaders and their chief executives, it's a responsibility we owe to those we serve, but we're not seeing enough concerted action to address this longstanding issue. We hope the taskforce will bring ideas, energy and a new impetus to the challenge."

Edna is a multi-award-winning communications, marketing, and change management director with over 20 years of experience designing and leading strategic communication and engagement programmes. With a background in service redesign and public health, Edna has designed and delivered a number of nationally recognised programmes that target specific equality and marginalised groups to support behaviour change and improve health outcomes.