NEWS
New ‘hub’ on challenging racism and discrimination in healthcare
Experts warn of European cancer
epidemic With an estimated one million cancer diagnoses missed across Europe in the last two years, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is predicted to set back European cancer outcomes by almost a decade. A new Commission from The Lancet Oncology has highlighted the pivotal importance of cancer research in tackling the unprecedented challenges facing European cancer systems and has made key recommendations for how this can be achieved.
A new resource to support doctors facing racism at work has been launched by the General Medical Council (GMC). The dedicated area brings together current GMC guidance and is focused on supporting those who experience discrimination. It gives advice on how to tackle it, whether personally or as a bystander. It also highlights expectations of employers and medical leaders to foster inclusive cultures, where people feel supported to challenge racism, and signposts to how and where a concern or issue can be raised. Tackling discrimination and inequality continues to be an urgent priority for health services. A recent survey by the British Medical Association reported 76% of respondents had experienced racism in their workplace on at least one occasion in the last two years. The GMC has committed to working with organisations to drive forward change, setting targets on tackling inequality. As well as collating guidance and signposting to further support, the hub looks at real-life examples where doctors have experienced racism, from explicit discrimination to micro-aggressions that
often continue unchallenged. A locum doctor anonymously shared comments received from colleagues which left them feeling they ‘had to work harder to prove themselves’ than their white counterparts, including: ‘I can’t pronounce your surname, can I just use your first name?’ and ‘Oh, not a foreign doctor again.’ Another doctor shared their experience of a patient’s carer asking to see another doctor as they ‘did not appear British’. The experiences highlight not just the impact of racism on those who suffer it, but the essential role of employers and witnesses in challenging racist behaviour, including: expectations of those in senior positions in tackling and rooting out discrimination where it arises; duties of conduct towards colleagues and patients; and resources for employers on creating inclusive non- discriminatory environments.
The section is the latest of 12 areas in an ‘ethical hub’ which brings together resources on how to apply GMC guidance in practice. The new hub is available at:
www.gmc-
uk.org/ethical-guidance/ethical-hub/racism- in-the-workplace
Government plans to retain senior doctors
The Government has launched a consultation on changes to the NHS Pension Scheme, to retain experienced NHS clinicians and remove the barriers to staff returning from retirement. The proposals include introducing flexibilities to allow retired and partially retired staff to return to work or increase their working hours without having payments to their pension reduced or suspended. This will allow staff to
JANUARY 2023
claim a portion or all of their pension benefits but continue working and contributing to their
pension.The proposals also aim to fix the unintended impacts of inflation, so senior clinicians are not taxed more than is necessary. These measures aim to enable skilled and experienced staff to continue to contribute to the NHS up to and beyond retirement age.
The Commission has also identified gaps in the European cancer research landscape and is calling for a doubling of the European cancer research budget, as well as prioritisation of underserved cancer research areas, including prevention and early diagnosis, radiotherapy and surgery, implementation science, action on gender equality, and a deeper focus on survivorship. The new report, European Groundshot
– addressing Europe’s cancer research challenges: a Lancet Oncology Commission, emphasises that prioritising cancer research is crucial for European countries to deliver more affordable, higher quality, and more equitable cancer care, with patients treated in research- active hospitals having better outcomes than those who are not.
Shingles link with stroke and heart attack
A new study by investigators from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, demonstrated that shingles, also known as herpes zoster, is associated with an almost 30% higher long-term risk of a major cardiovascular event such a stroke or heart attack. Their results are published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. “Our findings suggest there are long- term implications of shingles and highlight the importance of public health efforts for prevention,” said lead author Sharon Curhan, MD, ScM, a physician and epidemiologist in the Channing Division of Network Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. The virus has been detected in large and small blood vessels, which overtime can cause inflammation, as well as chronic vascular changes.
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