Search the hub
Showing results for tags 'Discrimination'.
Found 171 results
-
News Article
More than 90% of female doctors have faced sexism at work, finds BMA
Patient-Safety-Learning posted a news article in News
A new report from the British Medical Association has published results showing 9 in 10 female doctors have experienced sexism at work in the UK, including unwanted physical contact, denial of opportunities and being asked to massage male colleagues in meetings. The findings showed 91% of female doctors have experienced sexism at work, almost one-third (31%) of female doctors had experienced unwanted physical conduct in their workplace, and two in five (42%) of female and male doctors who had witnessed or experienced sexism felt that they could not report it. A female GP has said "I was asked at an interview if I was planning on having children. I’ve had patients refusing to see me as they want to see a proper – i.e. male – doctor … Advised I was not pretty enough to cause a distraction in meetings so they could treat me like a bloke.” Danny Mortimer, the deputy chief executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents hospital trusts, said "NHS organisations are working hard to make sure their staff do not experience sexism, or indeed, any form of discrimination, and Amanda Pritchard’s recent appointment [as NHS England’s new chief executive] signals a more representative leadership. But as this report makes clear, there is far more work to be done.” Read full story. Source: The Guardian, 26 August 2021 -
News Article
Report finds ethnic minority staff face 'regular discrimination'
Patient-Safety-Learning posted a news article in News
A new report published by Devon Clinical Commissioning Group, consultancy Nous reveals worrying examples of discrimination towards ethnic minority staff. It has been noted that attempts at progress and improving equality has had 'limited effectiveness' with ethnic minorities experiencing minimal resources to carry out their roles. Findings showed ethnic minorities faced barriers to appropriate care with staff experiencing "substantial inequalities". Read full story.(paywalled) Source: HSJ, 10 June 2021 -
Content ArticleNursing workforce shortages are an issue of international concern, with the gap between demand for services and the limited numbers of nurses widening. Recruiting nurses internationally is one solution that is helping to bridge this gap in some health systems. This systematic review in the International Journal of Nursing Studies Advances aimed to explore the lived experiences of international nurses working and living in different countries globally. The authors identified factors that can help nurses from other countries to adapt culturally to the UK health system, and that may support retention of international staff. The authors found that in order to improve the long term retention of international nurses, cultural integration and language barriers should be sensitively managed to enable effective acculturation. Culturally sensitive leadership should also be promoted to ensure zero tolerance of inappropriate racist and discriminatory behaviours.
-
Content ArticleThis report by the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Muslim Women and the Muslim Women's Network UK aimed to investigate the maternity experiences of Muslim women in the UK, particularly from Black, Asian and other minority ethnic backgrounds. It aimed to better understand the factors that influence the standard of maternity care Muslim women receive, and to determine whether this may be contributing to poorer outcomes for them and their babies. 1,022 women completed surveys and 37 women were interviewed for the research. The study focused on the care given throughout pregnancy in the antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal periods. Experiences of sub-standard care were analysed to find out: whether they were associated with the women’s intersecting identities such as ethnicity, religion and class. whether attitudes were due to unconscious bias (for example, negative stereotypes or assumptions) or conscious action (for example, microaggressions). what role (if any) organisational policies and practices played. Particular attention was paid to how near misses occurred as this information could help to save lives of mothers and babies. To show what good practice looks like, positive experiences were also highlighted.
-
Content Article
Two years after Baroness Cumberlege shared her damning report, 'First Do No Harm', which highlighted serious failures in response to reports about harmful side effects from medicines and medical devices, too many mesh injured women still continue to be let down by the healthcare system. Women who have been harmed by pelvic mesh surgery have shared a series of appalling accounts of how they have been treated by their doctors while desperately seeking help for their injuries and complications. In this blog, we examine how these comments reveal an underlying misogyny held by many doctors, and a failure to take women’s concerns seriously. -
Content Article
Surviving in Scrubs campaign
Patient Safety Learning posted an article in Staff safety
Sexism, sexual harassment, and sexual assault are commonplace in the healthcare workforce. Too many healthcare staff have witnessed or been subject to it… the female med student asked to stay late lone working with a senior male doctor, being looked over for opportunities at work, unwelcome touching at conferences, comments on your looks… the list goes on. A 2021 survey from the BMA reported 91% of women doctors had experienced sexism in the last 2 years and 47% felt they had been treated less favourably due to their gender. Over half of the women (56%) said that they had received unwanted verbal comments relating to their gender and 31% said that they had experienced unwanted physical conduct. Despite these statistics these issues remain endemic in healthcare. The Surviving in Scrubs campaign, created by Dr Becky Cox and Dr Chelcie Jewitt, aims to tackle this problem, giving a voice to women and non-binary survivors in healthcare to raise awareness and end sexism, sexual harassment, and sexual assault in healthcare. You can share your story through the Submit Your Story page anonymously and the story will be published on the Your Stories page. This will create a narrative of shared experiences that cannot be ignored. -
Content ArticlePretty soon there won’t be a trust without an associate director or even board level director fully dedicated to all things equality, diversity and inclusion; relatively new senior roles that must have a purpose, job description and performance indicators. They will spend energy on yet more strategies, start from the top and hope something trickles down. Or they could start where the work is done, and build the tools to make equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) everyone’s responsibility. Trusts are full of people passionate about EDI. So many roles, so many champions. They meet, share stories, and champion the importance of EDI. All this busyness typically outside a governed frame without the necessary reporting, investigating, actions, outcomes, learning, and measurable improvement. To normalise EDI and make it everyone’s responsibility will involve enabling reporting of EDI incidents, investigating it, taking action, and learning from it, writes Dr Nadeem Moghal in an article for HSJ.
-
Content ArticleThe King’s Fund was commissioned by NHS England to undertake a review of the leadership and culture of the Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB), including the culture and leadership needed for success as the organisation moves towards a steady state of independence. This report contains the authors' findings, obtained from individual interviews, focus groups and staff survey results, previous reports and other relevant information. It also contains HSIB staff members' responses to the findings, reflections from The King’s Fund review team about what needs to change, and a plan for the future.
-
Content ArticleBullying, discrimination and harassment between healthcare workers can have an impact on how well individuals do their job, and may therefore lead to an increase in medical errors, adverse events and medical complications. This systematic review in BMJ Quality & Safety aimed to summarise current evidence about the impact on clinical performance and patient outcomes of unacceptable behaviour between healthcare workers.
-
Content ArticleThis editorial in BMJ Quality & Safety looks at the risks to patient safety posed by negative interpersonal interactions between healthcare professionals. The authors review a recent study on the subject by Linda Guo et al that revealed how and when these negative behaviours from staff may have an impact on patient outcomes and clinical performance. They highlight the huge scale of the impact of unacceptable behaviours, arguing that it is even greater than evidenced in Guo et al's research. They also highlight that there are other, largely unexplored impacts on healthcare workers, patients and their families when they are exposed to unacceptable interactions.
-
Content ArticleDespite an increased focus in maternity services on ethnic and racial inequalities resulting in poorer outcomes, the experience of migrant women is often hidden from these data, research and improvement programmes. To understand these inequalities and their impact further, Doctors of the World UK (DOTW UK) analysed data collected through provision of health support to 257 pregnant women accessing their service between 2017 and 2021
-
Content ArticleThe NHS Confederation has published a new report, 'The unequal impact of COVID-19: investigating the effect on people with certain protected characteristics', which maps existing research into COVID-19 inequalities onto some of these protected characteristics, showing how the pandemic has interacted with them. The report then showcases four case studies of how different health and care systems have put in place interventions to respond to these inequalities when designing their COVID-19 response. It focuses on a number of key areas including the impact of COVID-19 on: BAME communities people with disabilities older and younger people. The report concludes with a series of recommendations for health and care systems across the UK.
-
Content ArticleThis report from the BME Leadership Network spotlights the findings from a recent survey and engagement on the experience of senior black and minority ethnic leaders in the NHS.
-
Content Article
BMA: Racism in medicine (15 June 2022)
Patient Safety Learning posted an article in Culture
This report presents the findings of the British Medical Association (BMA) racism in medicine survey, which ran from October to December 2021. The survey sought to gather evidence of the racism experienced by doctors and medical students working in the NHS, and the impact of these experiences on their working lives and their career opportunities. All doctors and medical students in the UK, from all ethnic backgrounds, were invited to participate. The survey received 2030 responses in total, making it one of the largest of its kind. It found a concerning level of racism in the medical profession, stemming from fellow doctors, other NHS staff, and patients. These experiences of racism present in a variety of forms in the institutions and structures of the medical profession- Posted
- 2 comments
-
1
-
- (and 10 more)
-
Content ArticleWith waiting lists for gynaecology having grown by 60% since before the pandemic, many women are being left to cope with conditions like endometriosis, fibroids and prolapse on their own while waiting for NHS care. In this article, four women describe how NHS waiting lists and attitudes to gynaecological symptoms have left them living with severe pain and feeling like their health is not being taken seriously.
-
Content ArticleThis report considers the extent of the gap between the diversity in the workforce and local population of London, and that visible among NHS trust boards and senior management. It highlights the impact of this gap on the effectiveness of healthcare provision and patient experience, in light of research demonstrating that a diverse workforce in which all staff members’ contributions are valued is linked to good patient care.
-
Content ArticleThis report outlines the results of a survey of 10,000 nursing staff in the UK carried out by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN). The survey highlighted stark differences in career progression and treatment in the workplace between White nurses and those from a mixed ethnic background, and Black and Asian nurses. In the 35-44 age group, 66% of White and 64% of respondents from mixed ethnic backgrounds said they’d been promoted. This dropped to just 38% of Asian and 35% of Black respondents. Black respondents working in both hospital (39%) and community (32%) settings are more likely to report having experienced physical abuse than respondents of other ethnic backgrounds. In response to these findings, the RCN is calling on the UK Government to reform human rights law to help tackle workplace racism, including introducing a legal requirement to eliminate disparities in recruitment, retention and career progression. They also want employers to have greater responsibility to protect minority ethnic groups from racism in all its forms.
-
Content ArticleSystemic racism in maternity care is an urgent human rights issue. For too long, evidence and narratives about why racial inequities in maternal outcomes persist have focussed on Black and Brown bodies being the problem – ‘defective’, ‘other’, a risk to be managed. Birthrights’ year-long inquiry into racial injustice has heard testimony from women, birthing people, healthcare professionals and lawyers outlining how systemic racism within maternity care – from individual interactions and workforce culture through to curriculums and policies – can have a deep and devastating impact on basic rights in childbirth. This jeopardises Black and Brown women and birthing people’s safety, dignity, choice, autonomy, and equality. The inquiry’s report, Systemic Racism, Not Broken Bodies, uncovers the stories behind the statistics and demonstrates that it is racism, not broken bodies, that is at the root of many inequities in maternity outcomes and experiences.
-
Content ArticleDespite widespread condemnation of the UK's asylum partnership arrangement with Rwanda, the Home Office appears to be going ahead with its plans to relocate to east Africa people who it deems to have arrived illegally and who are therefore not eligible for asylum in the UK. The policy, formed in response to increasing arrivals of migrants in small boats (28 500 arrived to the UK in 2021), has been hailed by Prime Minister Boris Johnson as the “morally right thing to do”, and is designed to deter refugees from entering the country through “illegal, dangerous or unnecessary methods”. Faith leaders, charities, civil servants, and members of parliament in the UK have denounced the plan as unethical, wrong, racist, and callous—sentiments echoed by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), Human Rights Watch, and Amnesty International. The agreement is unfair and shameful. It might be illegal and is certainly immoral. It is also undoubtedly bad for health.
-
Content Article
Being an anti-racist clinician (4 February 2022)
Patient Safety Learning posted an article in Health inequalities
Racism is a pervasive problem in Western society, leading to mental and physical unwellness in people from racialised groups. Psychology began as a racist discipline and still is. As such, most clinical training and curricula do not operate from an anti-racist framework. Although most therapists have seen clients with stress and trauma due to racialisation, very few were taught how to assess or treat it. Furthermore, clinicians and researchers can cause harm when they rely on White-dominant cultural norms that do not serve people of colour well. This paper from Racism is a pervasive problem in Western society, leading to mental and physical unwellness in people from racialized groups. Psychology began as a racist discipline and still is. As such, most clinical training and curricula do not operate from an anti-racist framework. Although most therapists have seen clients with stress and trauma due to racialisation, very few were taught how to assess or treat it. Furthermore, clinicians and researchers can cause harm when they rely on White-dominant cultural norms that do not serve people of colour well. This paper from Williams et al. discusses how clinicians can recognize and embrace an anti-racism approach in practice, research, and life in general. Included is a discussion of recent research on racial microaggressions, the difference between being a racial justice ally and racial justice saviour, and new research on what racial allyship entails. Ultimately, the anti-racist clinician will achieve a level of competency that promotes safety and prevents harm coming to those they desire to help, and they will be an active force in bringing change to those systems that propagate emotional harm in the form of racism. -
Content ArticleWomen are 50% more likely to receive a wrong initial diagnosis; when they are having a heart attack, such mistakes can be fatal. People who are initially misdiagnosed have a 70% higher risk of dying. The latest studies have similarly shown that women have worse outcomes for heart operations such as valve replacements and peripheral revascularisation. As well as being misdiagnosed, women are less likely to be treated quickly, less likely to get the best surgical treatment and less likely to be discharged with the optimum set of drugs. None of this is excusable, but is it understandable? What is behind this bias and how can how it be fixed? Sian Harding, emeritus professor of cardiac pharmacology at Imperial College London, looks at the evidence in this Guardian article. Related reading Dangerous exclusions: The risk to patient safety of sex and gender bias Gender bias: A threat to women’s health Medicines, research and female hormones: a dangerous knowledge gap
-
Content ArticleThe Government's Race Disparity Unit has published data relating to NHS staff reports of discrimination at work. The charts, tables and commentary on this page cover survey data from 2019, and the data from 2020 is available to download without commentary. 300 NHS organisations took part in the staff survey in 2019, including 229 NHS trusts.
-
Content ArticleThis statement from Chair Peter Wyman addresses allegations of bullying and racism within NHS Blood and Transplant as reported in The Times on 21 August 2022. In the statement, Peter Wyman says, "I cannot overstate the importance we place in ensuring we have a strong, positive and inclusive culture so we can serve the public and patients who need us. “Issues of racism and bullying came to light in parts of our organisation two years ago after an in-depth staff listening exercise. We’ve moved on a lot in the past two years. Our actions have included providing a safe way for staff to raise and discuss issues by appointing a Freedom to Speak Up Guardian, improving recruitment processes to be more inclusive, matured how we manage conflict and grievances and refreshing our code of conduct so we all know the behaviours that are expected of us. We continue to measure progress through ongoing staff engagement. “We are making progress but like every good organisation we should always be challenging ourselves to do even better. In particular, I want to ensure we have a culture that enables each of us to be our best, that encourages everyone to speak up without fear or favour if they see something wrong or something which might be done better. I want a culture where everyone is valued for who they are and what they contribute. "There can be no place for any form of discrimination, bullying or harassment.”
-
Content ArticleHealth inequalities are not inevitable and are unfair. Many people from different backgrounds across our society suffer health inequalities which can negatively impact the whole community, not just those directly affected. Birmingham and Lewisham African Caribbean Health Inequalities Review (BLACHIR) set out to urgently reveal and explore the background to health inequalities experienced by the Black African and Black Caribbean communities. Birmingham is home to 8% of the Black African and Black Caribbean populations in England and 23% of Lewisham’s population is Black African or Black Caribbean (ONS 2011). The main aim of the Review is to improve the health of Black African and Black Caribbean people in the communities by listening to them, recognising their priorities, discussing, and reflecting on the findings and coproducing recommended solutions for the Health and Wellbeing Board and NHS Integrated Care Systems to consider and respond to.
-
Content ArticlePainful menstruation—dysmenorrhea—interferes with the daily life of around one in five women. This blog looks at why painful periods receive so little research attention and examines the impact this has on women's lives and health. Sharing a personal story of her own painful periods, the author discusses how doctors are quick to prescribe birth control pills and antidepressants to treat painful periods, rather than investigating the problem to find out whether the cause of pain is endometriosis, a condition where endometrial tissue forms outside the uterus. It is thought that around 10% of ovulating women in the US have endometriosis and it takes an average of ten years for accurate diagnosis. The author discusses the need to raise the visibility of dysmenorrhea and endometriosis so that medical research takes it on as a serious issue.
