Health Secretary Steve Barclay has issued a directive to NHS managers, urging them to halt the recruitment of professionals exclusively focused on promoting diversity and inclusion within the healthcare system. A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson exclusively told Asian Voice, "Taxpayers rightly expect value for money from every penny spent in our NHS. The Health and Social Care Secretary wrote to Integrated Care Boards this week to reiterate that diversity and inclusion should be a part of everyone’s role, rather than having discrete dedicated roles within organisations. The NHS has one of the most diverse workforces in the country and we will continue to work to improve outcomes for all.” The Health and Social Care Secretary previously wrote to NHS England and other health bodies in March on the same issue. However, this marks the beginning of a new era in the NHS and Britain’s healthcare system, which was already reeling under the yoke of institutional racism and slowly building its team to tackle race and equality issues, which will not see the light of the day again for the near future. Asian Voice spoke to doctors and pharmacists to understand the implications of this move by the health secretary.
In a letter addressed to the heads of Integrated Care Boards responsible for managing local budgets, Barclay expressed his concerns about the active recruitment of dedicated Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) roles within local NHS organisations. He highlighted that some of these roles offer salaries of up to £96,376, exceeding the basic pay for a newly promoted consultant.
Barclay argued that the funds allocated for such positions should be redirected towards frontline patient care. He emphasised that fostering diversity and inclusion should be a collective responsibility of all NHS staff rather than relying on external providers or specialised roles within organisations. He further mentioned the Department of Health and Social Care's focus on efficiency and its commitment to transferring resources from administrative functions to frontline services, which included a reduction in headcount and the absence of standalone diversity roles.
Barclay also expressed reservations about the continued subscription to external organisations for DE&I issues, considering it as not delivering value for money, particularly during a period of budgetary constraints brought on by the pandemic. He called upon NHS organisations to reevaluate their recruitment into standalone DE&I roles and external subscriptions, redirecting those resources to enhance patient care, and to publicly justify any deviations from this directive.
Notably, this directive from Barclay has garnered criticism from health leaders, who argue that a diverse workforce plays a crucial role in reducing health inequalities. They believe that Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) can help create a more equitable healthcare culture and effectively combat discrimination, aligning with the recommendations of the government-commissioned Messenger review, which stressed the importance of embedding EDI roles at all levels of the health service to address discrimination effectively and build a more inclusive healthcare system.
Removing the funding for EDI roles will destroy the first signs of social justice for patients and staff
Dr Indranil Chakravarty MBE told the newsweekly, “As an international medical graduate who has trained abroad at huge public expense of a country which belongs to the Commonwealth and having given three of my most productive decades to the vision of universal health that is the NHS, the decision by RT Hon Steve Barclay to remove funding for EDI leads makes me deeply disappointed.
“There are around 24% of staff and over 40% of doctors in the NHS from over 200 countries who dedicate their life and labour to serve the people of the UK, yet the experience, as well as outcomes of patients from marginalised, deprived, and minority communities, is very different in the same health service.
“The experience of staff from similar backgrounds is also widely different due to inherent bias. It took seven decades for the NHS to start to listen to the need for equality, diversity and inclusion after the devastating pandemic. Removing the funding for EDI roles will destroy the first signs of social justice for patients and staff. It will contribute to a much-divided society and break the promise that NHS stands for. We hope the new government will see the light and restore the NHS to what it deserves to be, the best Healthcare system in the world.”
Speaking to us, Dr Arjun Ghosh said, “There is a lot of evidence highlighting institutional racism in the NHS and allied health bodies. I am not sure that stopping diversity and inclusion role appointments will help to tackle this major problem.”
Award-winning Asian Pharmacist Raj Aggarwal told Asian Voice, “Diversity and inclusion are essential for providing high-quality healthcare to all patients. When our workforce reflects the diversity of the population it serves, we are better able to understand and meet the needs of all patients. We are also better able to challenge discrimination and bias in the healthcare system.
The recent moves by the Health Secretary send a message that diversity and inclusion are not important to the NHS. This is a message that could have a negative impact on the health and well-being of BME patients and staff. In addition to the above, I would like to add that the NHS is facing a number of challenges, including a shortage of staff and a growing backlog of patients. At a time when the NHS is under so much pressure, it is more important than ever to have a diverse workforce that is able to reflect the needs of all patients.”
When the PM faced criticism over failure to train enough doctors and nurses
Rishi Sunak had insisted it wasn't his fault if foreign countries struggled to fill nursing vacancies because staff had flocked to Britain. The PM had been facing criticism over his government's failure to train enough doctors and nurses. Ghana had warned that it was facing a "brain drain" as health workers left for jobs overseas. More than 1,200 Ghanaian nurses had joined the UK's nursing register the previous year alone.
When asked if he felt comfortable about the UK recruiting NHS staff from abroad due to insufficient training at home, Mr Sunak had said, "The NHS doesn't actively recruit [in Ghana], and we have a process in place to ensure we are sensitive to the needs of countries like Ghana." Pressed again, he had mentioned, "Well, you can't ban people individually. What we can do is not actively recruit in particular countries where they think there's an issue. That's why we have a red list in Ghana. We're already on an upward trajectory for putting nurses into the workforce domestically."
Recruitment from India
Earlier this year, it was reported that a local health board in the UK was in the process of recruiting hundreds of nurses from India. The health board, which currently employs approximately 4,200 nurses and midwives, is making this move due to a report highlighting that it has 1,322 nurses and midwives aged 51 or older who are approaching retirement within the next few years. This recruitment initiative was aligned with the efforts of the NHS in England, which is collaborating with the West Yorkshire Integrated Care System (WYICS) to establish "workforce relationships" in India, particularly to meet the healthcare staffing needs in the northern England region.
Racism in NHS
In a 44-page document released by the British Medical Association in 2022, it was reported that racism is widespread within the medical workforce. Over three-quarters (76%) of respondents experienced racism in their workplace on at least one occasion in the last two years. Overseas qualified doctors experience racism more often than doctors trained in the UK. Experiences of racism are significantly under-reported and reporting results in backlash. Experiences of racism are affecting doctors’ confidence and mental and physical well-being. Many doctors are considering leaving or have left their jobs because of racial discrimination.
With winter approaching, Christmas and the festive season, the challenges of the NHS are still heavily resting upon the shoulders of BAME doctors who serve night shifts during all kinds of crises and seasons, more so than their white counterparts. Following this move by the Health Secretary, the growing criticism of PM Sunak who is also a person of colour, and Labour’s weak plans to cohesively govern the country should they come to power and its shaky ties with India so far, the UK is living on a double-edged sword. This could be the start of a new era of people suffering in silence, or, the end of all hope.
Pharmacies are under threat of closure, says award-winning Asian Pharmacist
Asian pharmacist and businessman Raj Aggarwal has been given the prestigious Black History Wales Community Award for his contribution to race equality and inclusion. The award was presented to Raj by the Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford at a packed event at the Welsh Seneed in Cardiff this week. He was chosen for the award for his tireless work for the Asian community in Wales over the past 20 years, including his role as Indian Honorary Consul to Wales, a position he has held since 2012. Raj has also been a Fellow of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society for ten years and ran a chain of pharmacies in Cardiff, and more recently he has been made an honorary Captain in the Royal Navy, in order to promote greater diversity in the Senior Service.
Raj was born in Nairobi, Kenya and was educated at the Duke of Gloucester Grammar School there, but our family emigrated to Wales in 1967. He won a place at the Welsh School of Pharmacy at Cardiff University from 1969 to 1972 graduating with a 2:1 and joined Boots as a graduate trainee. Raj thrived at Boots became one of their youngest-ever regional managers, and was put in charge of their flagship store in Oxford Street. On a visit back to Cardiff he saw a pharmacy that was for sale and decided to start his own business and build it up to a chain of six pharmacies around the city.
In an exclusive interview with Asian Voice, he spoke about this honour, race equality, and Health Secretary Steve Barclay’s latest orders to curb hiring in race-equality roles in the NHS.
What does this award mean to you?
Well first of all it was a total surprise. I thought I was at an event with the Welsh First Minister to celebrate Black History Month, and then the next thing I was invited up to receive this award. It was of course lovely to receive the award but I like to think that all the work I've done for race relations over the years is my way of paying back Wales for university education and the business opportunities the country has given me. Wales is a very welcoming country and there are over 20,000 people of Indian descent living there, and I think it's a very open society that welcomes immigrants and other races.
How important is race equality in the health sector?
Racial equality in the health sector is vital in two ways, one is for equal access to healthcare and the second is for equal opportunities in jobs. The NHS employs a disproportionately high number of British Asians, 15.9% of professionally qualified clinical staff - despite the racial group only representing 9.3% of the population, and British Indians amount to 18.6% of the pharmacists in the UK. The health sector is one which is still viewed in British Asian families as a respectable and sought-after career even though it is generally underpaid when compared with other professions. It is vitally important that the government values and offers greater incentives for healthcare professionals.
What is the contribution of the Asian diaspora in building Britain's healthcare economy?
The Asian diaspora has made a significant contribution to building Britain's healthcare economy. There are over 50,000 medical professionals of Indian origin working in the NHS. This represents over 10% of the NHS workforce. In addition, Asian-owned businesses play an important role in providing healthcare services and products. For example, many Asian-owned pharmacies provide essential services to local communities. I am proud to have been a part of the Asian diaspora and to have contributed to Britain's healthcare economy.
How important is the role of pharmacies and pharmacists like you in keeping the country running?
Pharmacies and pharmacists play a vital role in keeping the country running. They really are the front line of the NHS and provide essential healthcare services to millions of people every day. Pharmacists are responsible for dispensing medication, advising patients on their medication, and providing other healthcare services, such as vaccinations and blood pressure monitoring. Pharmacies are also important for the economy. They employ hundreds of thousands of people and contribute billions of pounds to the GDP. Pharmacies are also a vital part of the supply chain for the pharmaceutical industry. However many pharmacies are under threat of closure nowadays due to financial pressures brought about by supply chain issues with the procurement of drugs, reduced government funding, increased competition from online retailers, and staffing shortages. These financial pressures are putting some pharmacies at risk of closure, and this would have a negative impact on patients and on the economy. We must have increased government support for pharmacies or they will start disappearing from our high streets in the next 10 years.
