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NEWS: Primary care staff warn of discrimination

Primary care staff from ethnic backgrounds feel less involved in decision-making and less respected than others, according to a ground-breaking survey of a city in Yorkshire.

Many ethnic minority staff in Doncaster also report being victims of bullying or harassment or sometimes of physical violence, according to the survey, reported by the Health Service Journal. The findings come from a workforce race equality survey, conducted across primary care in Doncaster and instigated by Doncaster’s primary care BAME network. The survey, undertaken in October, had 136 respondents. It is thought to be unusual as such surveys are not required in primary care although NHS trusts and clinical commissioning groups must undertake them.

Half of ethnic minority respondents said they had personal experience of discrimination at work in the previous year compared with 3.5% of white respondents. Most said this was because of their ethnicity rather than their gender. 82% of respondents from ethnic minorities said they had experienced harassment, bullying or abuse at work.

The report of its findings states: “The experience of colleagues is a cause for concern. BAME colleagues shared that they are less able to make suggestions to improve the work of primary care, less involved in the decision about their area and less respected by their colleagues than non-BAME colleagues. BAME colleagues reported experiencing discrimination based on their ethnic background and a high proportion felt that the NHS did not act fairly in relation to career progression.”

Network co-chairs Dr Suman Thullimalli and Dr Vijay Kumar said: “Whilst the CCG is starting to be supportive post-George Floyd, there is significant work to be done. As co-chairs of the BAME network, we have to do a significant amount of work in Doncaster to see true racial equality, which includes having difficult conversations and challenging practices.”

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