Health Management and Policy Alert

The health of people from ethnic minority groups in England

The King's Fund - 
This explainer examines the differences in health outcomes for ethnic minority groups, highlighting the variation across groups and conditions, and considers what’s needed to reduce health inequalities.

• Long read

Supporting the LGBTQ+ population through COVID-19 and beyond

NHS Confederation - 
Leaders from across the healthcare system agree that for the LGBTQ+ population to recover and thrive after the pandemic, the way services are designed and delivered, and the workforce environments they are delivered in, must change. This report sets out a series of recommendations to help healthcare leaders, service designers and commissioners ensure their services and workplaces meet the needs of the LGBTQ+ population

• Report
• Press release

Communications toolkit for local maternity teams to improve communications with Black, Asian and minority ethnic women

NHS England -
This toolkit aims to provide helpful suggestions about how to communicate with women of different backgrounds, about the extra support that is available to them, as well as signposting to currently available publications, messaging, insights and templates.

• Toolkit
• NHS England - publications

Perspectives from the front line: the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on BME communities

NHS Confederation -
This report finds that the effects of long-standing health and socio-economic inequalities and institutional racism lie behind the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on people from black and minority ethnic (BME) backgrounds. It distils the findings of a research study into the underlying factors. It is based on interviews with BME NHS leaders, clinicians, community organisations and service users, and a survey of over 100 members of the NHS Confederation’s BME Leadership Network.

• Report
• NHS Confederation - news

Mend the gap: the independent review into gender pay gaps in medicine in England

Department of Health and Social Care - 
This review aims to take a comprehensive approach to understanding the structural and cultural barriers affecting the female medical workforce. It responds to two primary concerns: the gender pay gap in medicine is large for a single professional group; and the new NHS contract for Doctors and Dentists in Training has a potentially negative impact on the pay gap due to a loss of increments during maternity leave.

• Report
• Department of Health and Social Care - publications

Destitution in the UK 2020

Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) - 
This study finds that around 2.4 million people experienced destitution in 2019, a 54 per cent increase since 2017. Inadequate benefit levels and debt deductions, particularly the repayable advance many people are forced to borrow to cover the minimum five-week wait for Universal Credit, are identified in the report as key drivers of destitution. 

• Report
• Press release

The state of medical education and practice in the UK 2020

General Medical Council -
This report finds that, despite the pressures caused by Covid-19, 89 per cent of doctors experienced at least one positive change during the pandemic. However, it found that black and minority ethnic doctors were less likely to share the positive experiences reported by many of their white counterparts.

• Report
• General Medical Council - press release

Mitigation of risks of COVID-19 in occupational settings with a focus on ethnic minority groups

Public Health England (PHE) -
This consensus statement, produced in collaboration with the Health and Safety Executive and the Faculty of Occupational Medicine, provides guidance on how to mitigate the risks of Covid-19 in the workplace, particularly for ethnic minority groups.

• Guidance

Deafness and hearing loss toolkit

Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) - 
This educational toolkit, produced in collaboration with RNID and NHS England and Improvement aims to support GPs to consult effectively with deaf patients by offering tips on how to communicate during face to face and remote appointments.

• Toolkit
• Press release

Black people, racism and human rights

Joint Committee on Human Rights - 

This report concludes that the government must urgently take action to protect the human rights of Black people and set out a comprehensive cross government race equality strategy. This must have at its heart improved data collection on racial inequality. The report focuses on four issues where inequality in the protection of human rights is of particular concern: (i) health, (ii) criminal justice, (iii) nationality and immigration and (iv) democracy.

• Report
• Press release