Racism in the workplace: the NHS by Isabelle Lenton

There are different forms of racism. Systematic is used to describe the way a process is done, while systemic is used to describe something inside a system. It doesn’t exist as a result of the system, it IS the system. Institutional racism is the policies and practices that reinforce racist standards within a workspace or organisation. Structural racism is when multiple institutions collectively upholding racist policies and practices, i.e. society. Racism is tied up with the way society and organisations operate that it has become embedded.

Racism in the workplace includes excluding entirely or performative staging of poc staff on the company website and marketing, constantly mistaking poc staff for other poc staff, invading the space of black staff by touching or constantly commenting on their hair, anticipating emotional response based on race/gender (e.g. the angry black woman stereotype), refusing to learn to pronounce or continuing to mispronounce names after they have been corrected as well as ignoring complaints made to leadership or assuming unimportance, to name a few.

The NHS is a prime example of this. Did you know that 95% of the doctors who died during the first month of Covid-19 were from the BAME community (source: HSJ April 2020)? Also, black and brown doctors are reported to the GMC (General Medical Council) more than twice the rate as white doctors (source: GMC fair to refer 7 2019). Black NHS staff report the highest incidence of bullying and harassment from their colleagues and leaders and that 92% of board members in NHS trusts are white (source: NHS workforce race equality standard 2019)


For every £1 a black female doctor earns, a white female doctor earns £1.19 and a white male doctor makes £1.38 (source: NHS pay gap report 2019)

19.7% of staff working for NHS trusts and CCGs are from a black and minority (BAME) background

29% of BAME staff experienced harassment, bullying or abuse from patients, relatives or the public (source: NHS workforce race equality standard, 2019)

Racist behaviour:

36.7% of staff dealt with racist or xenophobic jokes, comments, abuse or name-calling

14.8% felt patients refused to accept care or treatment because of their race

18.6% found colleagues refusing to work with or deliberately isolating them because of their race

12.6% were subject to physical abuse or intimidation due to their race

32.3% felt unwarranted criticism because of their race

21.5% felt they were being blocked from promotions or training because of their race

58.4% felt they were treated as inferior because of their race (source: Unison’s race for equality campaign, 2019)

The NHS is a crucial institution which provides free medical care to the whole of the UK's population and has proved itself time and time again, but especially over the last couple of months. Both black and white doctors are performing the same heroic service to society, yet they are treated with with despicable difference. You don't need me to tell you that this must change.


This isn’t a moment, it’s a movement.