NHS Workforce Race Equality Standard: 2021 data analysis report for NHS trusts

NHS Workforce Race Equality Standard: 2021 data analysis report for NHS trusts This year's report shows the number of BME staff at very senior manager level has almost doubled between 2020 to 2021 – up from 153 to 298. The analysis also shows the number of BME board members across all NHS trusts have increased by a quarter between 2020 and 2021, and are up by three quarters on 2018 when the data was first published. 

The survey also showed the NHS workforce is more diverse than at any point in NHS history with more than 300,000 staff from a BME background – the equivalent of 22.4 per cent of all NHS staff. This is up from 18 per cent in 2017. However despite this rise, BME staff remain underrepresented in senior positions – particularly in board executive roles. The survey also shows that 29 per cent of BME staff experienced bullying, harassment of abuse from patients last year – three per cent higher than white staff. NHS England