Workforce issues
Diversity, inclusion and belonging in the NHS
The NHS is being called upon to tackle diversity, inclusion and belonging in the NHS, following a number of surveys, which have highlighted discrimination. Kate Woodhead RGN DMS highlights some of the key issues and the elements required to drive a change in culture.
Many lessons were learned during the experience of COVID-19, by hospitals and also their staff. Following the pandemic, there was a clarion call for hospital Trusts to enable their staff to recover from their exhaustion and post-pandemic trauma by providing compassionate and supportive management. There are a great many challenges for leaders in the NHS at any time, but possibly the greatest number of serious challenges exist currently. The Messenger Review, which reported in 2022,1
recommended that there should be
targeted interventions on collaborative leadership and organisational values in order to strengthen leadership and management across health and social care.
It also identified that equality, diversity and
inclusion needed action. How staff are treated within the organisations profoundly affects the care provision they deliver, and inclusion is the watchword for value, support, and respect for all staff. Inclusion should be viewed as the extent to which staff believe they are valued and how much they therefore belong to that group. Inclusive workplaces and teams feel a sense of belonging, which increases the motivation and effectiveness of the group. Managing staff with respect and compassion
correlates with improved patient satisfaction; lower infection and mortality rates; Care Quality Commission ratings; financial performance; as well as lower turnover and absenteeism.2 The 2020 NHS Staff survey3
showed that 1 in 8
staff reported experiencing discrimination at work – this can be by patients or fellow staff or
Equality Act 2010. Protected characteristics Age
Race Sex
Gender reassignment status Pregnancy and maternity
Table 1
managers. They may be for the array of different protected characteristics outlined in the Equality Act 2010, as shown in Table 1. The NHS in England employs 1 in 19 people in the whole workforce across the country and is made up of a broad diversity of people from all backgrounds, ethnicities, genders, ages and religions. This creates a rich source of potential for those who wish to discriminate, and it is widely recognised that the NHS can do much more to be an inclusive and equitable employer.
Disability
Religion or belief Sexual orientation
Marriage and civil partnership status
The health service, as one of the largest employers globally, should be seeking to be an employment exemplar and to maximise their role as anchor institutions locally. This article seeks to explore the problem and
to identify why this has become an issue firmly on the Chief Executive’s desk, but actually is the business of every employee in the NHS. We all want to work in effective teams which are happy and equitable for all members across the board. We want our colleagues to be promoted according to their skills and readiness, and we want harassment and bullying to be a thing of the past.
The need for change Inequalities are experienced across all grades of staff and different aspects of their experience. Some groups are well represented at senior levels of management in the NHS and others not so, have worse day to day working experiences
February 2024 I
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