Racism within the National Health Service (NHS) is a significant issue that must be addressed, emphasised Dr Adrian James, the outgoing president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. Speaking at the college’s international congress in Liverpool, he stressed that tackling racism is crucial not only for recruiting and retaining psychiatrists and healthcare practitioners but also for addressing problems such as pay gaps, disparities in disciplinary processes, and limited career progression opportunities for doctors from minority ethnic backgrounds.
Last month, the NHS Race and Health Observatory, established to examine racial disparities in health and social care, highlighted the potential of better anti-racism policies to enhance the NHS workforce. The observatory called for improved care, training, and anti-racist policies, emphasising that these measures would improve the patient experience and save millions of pounds spent annually on addressing racism claims brought by staff, clinicians, and patients.
In response to these concerns, the Royal College of Psychiatrists has launched a new campaign urging mental health employers across the UK to take practical steps in leadership, accountability, and access to opportunities to tackle racism in the workplace.
During his farewell speech after three years in his role, Dr James is expected to highlight the pervasiveness of institutional racism in society, stressing that the NHS is not immune. He will point out the unfair ethnic pay gaps, disparities in disciplinary processes, and the glass ceiling that hinders the career progression of doctors from minority ethnic backgrounds into management positions.
Dr James firmly states that racism has no place in today’s society and that it damages mental health while exacerbating existing mental illnesses. He underlines that racism destroys lives, affecting both patients and colleagues, and emphasizes the moral, ethical, and legal duty of the NHS to do more to eradicate racism in all its forms.
A recent survey conducted by the Royal College of Psychiatrists revealed that more than half (58%) of doctors from minority ethnic backgrounds have experienced racism at work. Of those, over a quarter (29%) stated that it affected their health, while four in ten (41%) reported that it had an impact on patients or carers.
Dr James will further highlight the significance of the college’s guidance on Tackling Racism in the Workplace. This guidance provides clear, measurable actions and implementation guidance for mental health employers, helping them recognize and respond to instances of discrimination on racial and ethnic grounds. It also directs them to sources of support within and outside their own organizations.
An NHS spokesperson expressed that any form of abuse, including racism, is completely unacceptable. NHS England recently published its first-ever equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) improvement plan as part of the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, with the aim of continually improving the experience of the diverse workforce, thereby enhancing patient care.
