RACISM inside the NHS costs the health system an estimated £2.3 billion annually.
The former chairman of the British Medical Association (BMA) told Eastern Eye that such prejudice also jeopardised patient safety.
Dr Chaand Nagpaul, former chair of the BMA council, told Eastern Eye, “Research has shown that incivility decreases cognitive function by 61 per cent and the risk of medical error is increased by 45-63 per cent.
Nagpaul cited scholarly studies by Roger Kline (Middlesex University) and Duncan Lewis (Plymouth University) that suggested bullying and harassment cost the NHS £2.3 billion annually. He said that racism would account for a “large” portion of that.
Based on staff turnover, decreased productivity, sickness presenteeism, compensation, legal fees, and expenditures associated with employment relations, the study evaluated the effect of bullying and harassment on the NHS.
Nagpaul told Eastern Eye, “Eradicating racism needs to be an urgent national priority to make full use of our diverse healthcare workforce amid exceptional service pressures as well as to ensure the future sustainability of the NHS.”
Dr Yvonne Coghill is a former director of the NHS workforce race equality standard (WRES). She said WRES indicators that measure equality performance within an NHS organisation currently show that the cultural indicators are “moving in the wrong direction”.
“Black, Asian, and minority ethnic staff are complaining bitterly about their experience in the NHS,” said Coghill.
The NHS workforce is one of the most diverse in the country. Black and minority ethnic (BAME) members make up almost a quarter of overall staff (24.2 per cent or 383,706 staff) – an increase of 27,500 people since 2021.
More than two fifths (42 per cent) of doctors, dentists, and consultants, and almost a third (29.2 per cent) of nurses, midwives and health visitors are of BAME backgrounds.
To know more: https://www.gg2.net/exclusive-racism-is-costing-nhs-billions/
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