Black History Month 2024

Black History Month provides an opportunity for leaders to declare that the NHS will not stand for racism going forward. Racism, inequality, and injustice within the NHS must be treated as a never event, not par for the course.

• The NHS Confederation's BME Leadership Network exists to strengthen the voice of NHS black and minority ethnic (BME) leaders and to support NHS organisations to meet the needs of all communities. Membership is open to both BME leaders and allies. Visit the BME Leadership Network webpage to become a member. 
• The Workforce Race Equality Standard 2023 report indicated that BAME staff make up 26.4 per cent of the NHS Workforce. Whilst this is positive, the survey also indicated that 27.4 per cent of BAME staff reported harassment, bullying or abuse from colleagues in the last 12 months. They are also less likely to be appointed than their white counterparts and are more likely to be subject to disciplinary processes. 
• The NHS England Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) plan seeks to tackle these issues with high impact actions two and six: 
  • High-impact two requires NHS organisations to embed fair and inclusive recruitment processes and talent management strategies that target under-representation and lack of diversity. 
  • High-impact action six requires organisations to create an environment that eliminates the conditions in which bullying, discrimination, harassment, and physical violence at work occur. To achieve this, organisations will be required to review data by protected characteristic, including BME status and gender, and set reduction targets by March 2024, and implement a plan to improve the staff experience of these groups. 
• Learn how you can take action against inequality by accessing the combatting racial discrimination against nurses, midwives, and nursing associates resource, published by NHS England, NHS Confederation, and the Nursing and Midwifery Council. It provides advice on the action you can take if you witness or experience racism. It also supports those in leadership roles to become inclusive leaders. 
• Read the NHS Confederation's anti-racism report Excellence through equality: anti-racism as a quality improvement tool. It includes examples of good practice case studies from BME Leadership Network members to help advance equality within the workforce and for service users.
• Access the Driving an anti-racism strategy through cultural change report, by Roisin Fallon-Williams to learn how Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust is working to develop an environment where efforts to address racism are part of a continuous improvement and cultural change programme.
• Read this recent blog from Patricia Miller, chief executive of NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board, who emphasises the urgent need for the NHS to confront the serious issue of racism within the service. Patricia draws parallels with her experiences of Britain in the 1980s and questions whether the NHS is honestly confronting the serious problem of racism within the service.
• Find out how the Too hot to handle report can be used to address racial disparity within organisations and what steps need to be taken in response to the report. The webinar also looks at the associated legal implications and learning from previous tribunal cases.
• Access the Act Against Racism guidance and resources, published by the Royal College of Psychiatrists. It helps mental health employers tackle racism in the workplace.

Accelerating change with anti-racist approaches in the NHS 

The BME Leadership Network held its Black History Month annual lecture on 23 October at the Royal College of Nursing in central London, featuring Professor Stephani Hatch. 

The event focused on promoting effective anti-racist strategies within the NHS, offering a unique opportunity to learn evidence-based approaches and actionable insights to tackle racial inequalities in healthcare. Attendees gained valuable knowledge on dismantling systemic racism and driving meaningful change within the NHS. They also had the opportunity to network with leading anti-racism advocates and fellow healthcare professionals committed to advancing equality. 

• Access our legal advice in relation to the summer 2024 riot , co-authored with our legal partner Capsticks, which provides advice on handling the conduct of employees who may have been involved in racist or criminal activity, either physically or on social media.
• Explore this briefing on An investment not a drain - healthcare leaders' views on EDI in the NHS,published by the NHS Confederation highlighting perspectives from the service on the value of EDI to the NHS.
• Visit the official Black History Month website to find out what else is happening during the month.
•  Read the NHS Confederation's Shattered Hopes report  which explores the experiences of BME leaders’ and challenges in breaking the glass ceiling in the NHS. It shares reflections on the lived experience of senior black and minority ethnic leaders in the NHS.
• Learn more about the NHS Race and Health Observatory,  hosted by the NHS Confederation and supported by NHS England and NHS Improvement, which has been established to investigate the impact of race and ethnicity on people’s health.