our mission

our truth

status quo

2020 saw the world’s eyes open to the injustices that Black people face; on the streets, in our jobs, and even when in our own home. In addition, the effects of COVID-19 have provided shocking insights on the degree of health and social care inequalities faced by both Black healthcare patients and Black professionals.

Black professionals have been a marginalised and disadvantaged group within the workplace; due to factors such as institutional discrimination, unconscious bias, and racial economic inequalities.

research outcomes

NHS Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES 2022)

BME Staff in NHS

BME Staff in London

BME board members

BME Very Senior Managers

  • According to NHS WRES study in 2022, white applicants were 14% more likely to be appointed from shortlisting compared to BME applicants; this is the same as 2021. There has been year-on-year fluctuation but no overall improvement over the past 6 years.
  • BME staff make up 24.2% of the NHS workforce. This has continued to increase since WRES data collection began in 2016 (WRES 2022).
  • Although BME representation increased by 1.8%, from 22.4% to 24.2% since 2018, the number of BME staff has increased by over 100,000.
  • London has the highest number of BME staff at 49.9%. Over a third of BME NHS staff work in the London region; in comparison a sixth of the overall NHS workforce in England work is situated in London.
  • 13.2% of board members are BME.
  • 10.3% of Very Senior Managers (VSM) are BME.
Discrimination & harassment at work
  • Just 35.4% of staff from a black background believed their trust provides equal opportunities for career progression or promotion, with levels below those of other ethnic groups since at least 2015, irrespective of gender.
  • Amongst registered nurses, BME men (41.4%) were more likely to experience harassment, bullying or abuse from patients, their relatives or the general public in the last 12 months than female colleagues. A similar trend was seen amongst nursing or healthcare assistants for BME men (44.4%).
  • BME women (29.5%) were most likely to have experienced harassment, bullying or abuse from patients, their relatives or the general public in the last 12 months, a trend that has been evident since at least 2015.
  • BME women (27.5%) were most likely to have experienced harassment, bullying or abuse from other staff in the last 12 months, a trend that has been evident since at least 2015.
  • Women from black African backgrounds (33.1%) also experienced high levels of abuse from patients, relatives or the public in the last 12 months.
  • Men (33.1%) from mixed white and black African backgrounds experienced high levels of abuse from patients, relatives or the public in the last 12 months.

Abuse of BME men in nursing from public

Abuse of BME men in NHS from public

Abuse of BME women in NHS from public

Abuse of BME women from other staff

covid death rates (British Medical Association)
63%

NHS staff who died due to Covid were BME

64%

Nurses who died due to Covid were BME

95%

Doctors who died due to Covid were BME

During the 2020 pandemic…

  • 21% of NHS workforce were BME. 63% of healthcare workers who died due to Covid were BME.
  • 20% of nursing staff were BME. During the pandemic 64% of nurses who died were BAME.
  • 44% of medical staff in NHS were BME. An outstanding 95% of doctors who died during the pandemic from Covid were BME.
still to this day...

The national government has not prioritised health inequalities, despite the concerning trends and there has been no national health inequalities strategy since 2010.

THE MARMOT REVIEW, 2022

Stay in touch

Subscribe to our community newsletter & get exclusive information about promotional offers and events taking place in your local community

Black Leaders is a registered community interest company (No.13070493) providing career progression guidance for students and professionals across the U.K.

Black Leaders do not promote or condone acts of racism, diminishing remarks, derogatory terms or the generalisation of any ethnic group, race or religion.

PAGE LINKS
CONTACT INFO
Social Media

Copyright 2025 © Black Leaders. All Right Reserved

What can we do better?

To help us improve we'd like to ask you a few questions about your experience so far. It will only take 5 minutes.

share your experience