NHS leaders call for a more diverse workforce at county event
16/05/2007
Two hundred thousand NHS staff across England are from Black and Minority
Ethnic (BME) backgrounds yet only eight are Nursing Directors or Chief
Executives.
These were the startling statistics revealed to a packed audience at the South West’s very first Breaking Through Leadership Development Conference. Yvonne Coghill, the National Programme Lead for the NHS Breaking Through Programme said the figures were disappointing and more needed to be done.
She added, “Black and Minority Ethnic staff have worked in the NHS for some 50 years and represent almost 15 per cent of the workforce. But very few staff are either encouraged or given the opportunity to progress. We know it makes good business sense to nurture a workforce that represents your customers or in this case, patients. Only by having a more diverse workforce and diversity amongst decision-makers will the NHS be able to deliver a service that meets the needs of all its patients.”
Ms Coghill told delegates too that:
- There are 45 million people in England and 7.5 per cent are from BME backgrounds;
- 1.3 million people work in the NHS with almost 15 per cent from BME backgrounds, making the NHS the largest employer of BME people;
- Five Nursing Directors and three Chief Executives across England come from a BME background;
- Of the estimated 35 Executive Directors in England, none are based in the South West.
Ms Coghill said that the NHS Breaking Through Programme which is designed to spot and nurture BME talent within the NHS will bring its scheme to the South West.
Also speaking at the event, which was attended by more than a hundred NHS and social care staff, was South West NHS Chief Executive Sir Ian Carruthers OBE. Sir Ian said the region had ambitious targets to meet which couldn’t be achieved without the full commitment and enthusiasm of staff. He also said health services must take account of the origin, culture and beliefs of the individual.
“Every member of staff has a contribution to make” Sir Ian said. “The future agenda for the NHS is the most major challenge faced and we need to identify and develop talent at all levels from all backgrounds. This will allow us to deliver a health service that is truly responsive to all the communities it serves.”
Sir Ian also urged senior members of staff to mentor young talent as he revealed that without a mentor he wouldn’t have risen from a junior office clerk to the position he is in today.
The Department of Health’s Director for Equality and Human Rights,
Mr Surinder Sharma said the NHS took equality and diversity issues seriously
making it part of the NHS action plan. He told delegates that the NHS
Chief Executive David Nicholson wants 30 per cent of top NHS managers
to have originated from an ethnic minority background to ensure the organisation
truly reflects the population it serves and be in a better position to
address health inequalities.
Lead organiser of the event and Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s Equality and Diversity Manager, Errol Bryan concluded, “I’d like to thank Sir Ian, Dame Janet, Surinder Sharma and all the other speakers for taking the time to come and speak to us today. Their words and vision for the NHS was truly inspirational and has set the path for us to become the diverse workforce we have signed up to be.”
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