Health Management and Policy Alert

Workforce race inequalities and inclusion in NHS providers

The King's Fund - 

Despite having one of the most ethnically diverse workforces in the public sector, there are long-standing race inequalities issues in the NHS workforce, including a lack of ethnic minority representation at senior levels, ethnic minority staff being much more likely to report they have experienced discrimination at work than white staff, and fewer ethnic minority staff reporting their trust offers equal opportunities for career progression. This research explored how three NHS provider organisations have sought to address workforce race inequalities and develop positive and inclusive working environments.

• Report
• Lived experience stories
• More detail

A spatial approach to working with marginalised communities

Ambition for Ageing -
This briefing provides an outline of the model of working with different types of marginalised communities to engage them in group activities. It was written for all people interested in how to ensure community development practice remains inclusive. It is published alongside a workbook which aims to provides a step-by-step guide on using this model at a neighbourhood level to identify and support older marginalised communities.

• Briefing
• Workbook
• Ambition for Ageing - resources

Beyond the data: understanding the impact of Covid-19 on BAME groups

Public Health England - 

This report is a descriptive summary of stakeholder insights into the factors that may be influencing the impact of Covid-19 on BAME communities and strategies for addressing inequalities. The report summarises requests for action, which have been used to inform a number of recommendations. It also includes a rapid literature review. These insights will form the basis of the next steps being taken forward by the Equalities Minister.

• Report
• More detail

Home Office preparedness for Covid-19 (coronavirus): immigration and visas

House of Commons Home Affairs Committee - 

The Committee found that excluding care workers and lower-paid NHS staff from the fee-free NHS visa extension scheme is unfair and fails to recognise the scale of their contribution to the UK fight against Covid-19. The Committee has called on the government to address the discrimination against health and care workers in lower-paid and lower-profile roles by expanding the eligibility for fee-free one year visa extensions to include all NHS and social care staff, regardless of job role or pay grade.

• Report
• More detail

BAME women and Covid-19: research evidence

Fawcett Society - 

This analysis from the Fawcett Society — together with the Women's Budget Group, Queen Mary University London and the London School of Economics — reveals the pressure on BAME women during the coronavirus lockdown. Forty-three per cent of disabled or retired BAME women and 48 per cent BAME men say that they had lost government support compared with 13 per cent white women and 21 per cent white men. Over half (51 per cent) of BAME women say they were not sure where to turn for help compared with one in five (19 per cent) white women. This is despite the fact that BAME people have been found to be more at risk during the pandemic.

• Research briefing
• Press release

Clinical characteristics and predictors of outcomes of hospitalised patients with COVID-19 in a London NHS trust: a retrospective cohort study

Imperial College - 

Clinical characteristics and determinants of outcomes for hospitalised Covid-19 patients in the United Kingdom are important to guide the national response to this current pandemic and emerging evidence suggests ethnic minorities might be disproportionately affected. This report is one of the first studies to describe the characteristics and predictors of outcome for hospitalised Covid-19 patients in the UK. It finds that older age, male sex and admission hypoxia, thrombocytopenia, renal failure, hypoalbuminaemia and raised bilirubin are associated with increased odds of death. Ethnic minority groups were over-represented in the cohort and, compared to whites, people of black ethnicity may be at increased odds of mortality.

• Report
• More detail

Racial disparities in mental health: literature and evidence review

Race Equality Foundation -
This report draws on the most recent published research from the last five years together with insights from two events and conversations across the sector. The report covers prevalence, access, assessment, treatment, and recovery. It also sets out recommendations to health agencies, professionals and the voluntary sector.

• Report
• Race Equality Foundation - news

Equality in Public Health England: how we met the public sector equality duty in 2019

Public Health England -
The equality duty is supported by two specific duties which require public bodies such as Public Health England (PHE) to: publish information to show their compliance with the equality duty; and set and publish equality objectives at least every four years. These reports set out how PHE responded to meeting these two specific duties.

• Report
• Public Health England - publications

Gender and nursing as a profession: valuing nurses and paying them their worth

Royal College of Nursing -
This report explores and critiques the gendered construction of value within the nursing profession and evaluates how value is attributed to nursing, the value placed on individuals and the status of the profession.

• Report
• Royal College of Nursing - press release

People with learning disabilities in England

Public Health England (PHE) - 
This report provides updates of national statistics about people with learning disabilities in England and the services and support available to them and their families.

• Report