Posted 22 June 2023 - 05:00
Posted 22 June 2023 - 05:00
News
Racism in the NHS: senior managers must be held to account
Anti-racism policies will have limited impact if cultural racism is not addressed among senior managers, warns equality campaigner Neomi Bennett
Anti-racism policies will have limited impact if cultural racism is not addressed among senior managers, warns equality campaigner Neomi Bennett
Improved anti-racism policies in the NHS will not make a difference until there is greater accountability at senior management level, an equality campaigner has warned.
Culture of racism in the NHS sees routinely poor treatment of BAME nurses
Equality 4 Black Nurses chief executive Neomi Bennett told Nursing Standard that racism in the NHS was ‘cultural’, with Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) nurses often leaving the profession after being physically and verbally abused at work by managers, and they are routinely referred to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) for fitness to practise concerns.
It comes after the NHS Race and Health Observatory, which was set up to tackle ethnic inequalities in health and care, called for ‘better care, training and anti-racist policies’ to boost the NHS workforce.
It revealed at the NHS ConfedExpo this month that it would be publishing a new review this summer exploring the cost of racism to the NHS after it found that racism claims resulting in formal proceedings were costing the NHS millions of pounds annually.
Senior managers ‘a law unto themselves’ and must be held accountable
Ms Bennett said the only way to eliminate racism was with investigations, financial penalties for perpetrators and enforcing accountability higher up.
‘Senior managers often become a law unto themselves, so realistically it is very difficult to enforce the policies,’ she told Nursing Standard.
‘A pattern we’re seeing with BAME nurses is that there is often no due process followed. If they do something wrong, the case usually goes from zero to 100 before you can blink. And it does seem to be cultural and across the board.’
Equality 4 Black Nurses case examples
Chief executive Neomi Bennett highlighted several cases Equality 4 Black Nurses is currently working on.
One black nurse was locked in a room by her white manager and poked in the face ‘in a fit of anger’. When the nurse complained she was told that although the manager’s behaviour was unprofessional it was not intentional and a mediation between the two was suggested. The manager was known to treat black and minority ethnic staff differently, Ms Bennett said.
Elsewhere, a black nurse was referred to the Nursing and Midwifery Council after a patient accused the nurse of ‘lunging’ at his genitals behind a curtain. The trust got the police involved in its initial enquiries and were told that the patient had a history of lying about healthcare professionals. But the trust reportedly went on to refer the nurse to the NMC, which threw out the case.
High profile racial harassment cases highlight extent of the problem
Several nurses have made headlines in recent months after winning racial harassment cases. One of the most senior black nurses in the NHS, Michelle Cox, won a landmark case after it was found her manager had created an ‘intimidating, hostile and humiliating’ environment due to her race.
Adelaide Kweyama was awarded thousands of pounds after a manager told her to bleach her skin to look whiter.
The RCN said there was still a ‘significant distance to travel’ in improving the experience of BAME staff.
RCN diversity and equalities coordinator Bruno Daniel said: ‘Unless progress is made, we risk further high-profile employment tribunals and ultimately demoralised staff leaving for good in the midst of a workforce crisis.’
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