A yet to be published 166-page race report by the NHS has suggested that ‘radical action is needed urgently to tackle “overwhelming” minority ethnic health inequalities in the NHS’.
According to experts, this damning study found the “vast” and “widespread” inequity in every aspect of healthcare it reviewed was harming the health of millions of patients.
“Racism, racial discrimination, barriers to accessing healthcare and woeful ethnicity data collection have “negatively impacted” the health of black, Asian and minority ethnic people in England for years, according to the review, commissioned by the NHS Race and Health Observatory, which reveals the true scale of health inequalities faced by ethnic minorities for the first time,” The Guardian reported.
The publication further added that it had exclusive access to the report that said, “Ethnic inequalities in health outcomes are evident at every stage throughout the life course, from birth to death,”
It added that despite “clear”, “convincing” and “persistent” evidence that ethnic minorities are being failed, and repeated pledges of action, no “significant change” has yet been made in the NHS.
Dr Chaand Nagpaul, BMA council chair, said: “This comprehensive report from the NHS Race and Health Observatory is a shocking indictment of the scale of harm that racism is causing millions of people in the UK.
“Millions of people are not only faced with poorer health outcomes but are also experiencing racism when interacting with the NHS and this report, which is the first of its kind, highlights the fact that these experiences have been hidden and concealed due to a lack of data. The data in this report is unacceptable and shows that racism within the healthcare service follows millions of people - right from birth to death. This can no longer be ignored - there is a moral duty to put this right as matter of urgency.
“The Government must openly acknowledge structural racism within the NHS and the barriers that it creates - something it failed to do in its own race disparity report last year. Those responsible for our health service must develop a cross-government action plan with tangible outcomes, timescales and agreement across the NHS.”
