Over half of ethnic minority NHS leaders consider quitting due to racism

Just over half of senior ethnic minority leaders have considered leaving the NHS due to experiencing workplace racism a survey suggests.

The survey was carried out by the NHS Confederation’s BME Leadership Network and its 123 respondents included chief executives, directors and senior managers.

Responses were collected from network members online before three roundtables were held with senior ethnic minority leaders to understand their experiences and the challenges they have faced in relation to discrimination.

The survey found:

• 51% of respondents said they had considered leaving the NHS in the past three years because of their experience of racist treatment while working.
• More than 20% said they had experienced verbal abuse or abusive behaviour targeting racial, national or cultural heritage five times or more in the last three years.
• 69% had experienced this behaviour from other leaders or managers within their organisation at least once in the same timeframe.
• 57% had experienced it from leaders or managers in another organisation at least once over the same period.

Joan Saddler, NHS Confederation’s director of equality and partnerships, said the NHS was at risk of losing “committed, highly skilled and motivated talent to institutional racism and discrimination”.

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Source: HSJ, 17 June 2022

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