In light of the recent Black Lives Matter protests, the disproportionate number of BAME healthworkers dying from Covid-19, and the long-standing systemic inequalities in the health sector and broader society, the NIHR have published a piece in recognition of Black Lives Matter. It acknowledges racism and the structural barriers experienced by minority communities in the research system.
In the same vein, The BMJ have published a special issue on 'racism in medicine' which reflects the working lives of doctors from ethnic minority backgrounds and the healthcare experiences of ethnic minority patients. The edition focuses on race and its impact on health.
NIHR
"We stand in solidarity against racism and anti-blackness and we acknowledge that as a research organisation we have more to do. We need more black voices within our leadership, in our committees, in our institutions and in the cohorts of people we fund. We must oppose racism in all its forms." Read the news: NIHR stands by Black Lives Matter
Video series on ethnic diversity, PPI and understanding cultural competency in research
The NIHR has collaborated with the Centre for BME Health on a series of videos about designing and delivering health and care research that is sensitive to and inclusive of people from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) groups. These include:
- Ensuring ethnic diversity in research
- An introduction to cultural competence in research
- Patient and public advice on ethnic diversity in research.
Watch the series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIa1oelW_zJ_3wXmB9nVAReTFQSR5GTiY
BBC
The medical school trying to become anti-racist, by fourth-year medical student, Eva Larkai, University of Bristol
GP online
Viewpoint: How racism has affected my career in medicine by Dr Nonye Ogomo
BAME medical students are being undermined by racism, warns BMA
The BMJ
This exerpt is taken from the news editor Zosia Kmietowicz' discussion about the motivation behind the issue.
"The idea of having an edition of The BMJ devoted to the issues that affect doctors and patients from ethnic minority backgrounds came to me after reading an account of one doctor’s experiences of racism during more than 40 years of working for the NHS. Rajgopalan Menon trained in southern India and arrived in the UK in the 1970s. He described the pain of being called a “Paki,” of being asked questions by patients and trainers that would not have been asked of white doctors, and of being dismissed as a potential candidate for jobs white doctors were applying for. He called for the NHS, medical royal colleges, General Medical Council, and BMA for a collective apology for their failure to act on racism, for himself and all the other ethnic minority doctors who had helped run the NHS.
Ethnic minority patients experience differential outcomes in healthcare. Maternity and infant mortality are stark examples, but there is also evidence of differences relating to race in cancer survival, life expectancy, and diabetes care.
These were among the issues I thought could be aired and debated in a special themed issue of The BMJ. When I put the idea to our senior editors they agreed."
Read the full piece: The Racism in Medicine issue: how we did it
Contents taken from The BMJ below:
Editor's Choice
- It’s time to act on racism in the NHS
Our guest editors, Victor Adebowale and Mala Rao, call for action on racism in medicine
Investigation
- Are medical schools turning a blind eye to racism?
A BMJ investigation finds that medical schools are failing to monitor racial harassment and abuse of ethnic minority students. Zosia Kmietowicz reports
Editorial
- Racism in medicine: why equality matters to everyone
A race equality observatory is needed to provide leadership and data - Neglect of older ethnic minority people in UK research and policy
Exclusion from population studies is a form of institutional racism - Differential attainment in medical education and training
A systemic problem requiring openness and strong leadership
Feature
- Taking the difference out of attainment
UK doctors from ethnic minorities don’t do as well as white doctors in academic tests and securing the top jobs. Samara Linton looks for solutions - Can we trust AI not to further embed racial bias and prejudice?
Is there a risk AI could compound inequalities? Poppy Noor investigates - What lies beneath: getting under the skin of GMC referrals
Aisha Majid asks why ethnic minority doctors are more likely to be investigated by the UK’s medical regulator and what is being done about it - Ethnic disparities in maternal care
Black and ethnic minority women are paying with their lives for the lack of action on racial bias, reports Lilian Anekwe - Harnessing the outrage: it’s time the NHS tackled racial bias
To call itself fair and equitable, the NHS must act on racism, says David Williams, the global expert on the effects of race on health. Lilian Anekwe reports - Dinesh Bhugra: Loving the sound of breaking glass
From using a streetlight to study during his childhood in an industrial town in India to becoming president of the World Psychiatric Association, Dinesh Bhugra has led a remarkable life - Yvonne Coghill: cultural transformation through conversation
The Royal College of Nursing deputy president charged with making the NHS a fairer place to work for ethnic minority staff tells Helen Jones about her plans for success
Opinion
- All diversity is not created equal
while all physicians from ethnic minorities may experience discrimination, it doesn’t always look the same, says Arundhati Dhara - We need to talk about racism
Until we talk about racism openly and teach doctors and medical students how to tackle it, we won’t see real change, says Saroo Sharda - Women from ethnic minorities face endemic structural racism when seeking and accessing healthcare
A Cultural Safety model provides the key to unlocking the door to equality in maternity care, say Amali Lokugamage and Alice Meredith - The perils of researching racial discrimination
Twenty five years on from the publication of their landmark paper on racism in medicine, Aneez Esmail and Sam Everington discuss their experience of calling out the issue - Don’t call me Bibi—or anybody else, for that matter
Let's ditch the term “Bibi-itis” says Fizzah Ali - Partha Kar: Sadda haq, aithe rakh
Be proud of what you are and where you come from, says Partha Kar - Rammya Mathew: Racism in medicine—migrant doctors aren’t here just to “fill a gap”
Rammya Mathew reflects on the challenges her parents faced working in the NHS - Helen Salisbury: Responding to racism
As well as policing myself, I must respond when racism arises in the behaviour of others, says Helen Salisbury - David Oliver: Racism in medicine—what ethnic minority doctors told me on Twitter
David Oliver discusses what he learnt from responses on Twitter - Communities that prefer close blood marriages need more help to access genetic services
Fear, inadequate knowledge, and assumptions about cultural beliefs, result in missed opportunities to support access to genetic counselling, say Naz Khan and Sarah Salway - Ethnic minority NHS staff need to lead on climate action
We must shape the collective activism necessary to create a better and more equal NHS which demonstrates its leadership in climate action, says Mala Rao
News
- Specialty training: ethnic minority doctors’ reduced chance of being appointed is “unacceptable”
More than 25 years after two GPs uncovered bias in appointments to specialty training posts, new data show that the ethnicity gap persists, reports Gareth Iacobucci - Tackling racism in medical schools: five minutes with . . . Gurdas Singh
The co-chair of the BMA’s Medical Students Committee talks about why students need guidance on preventing and dealing with racial harassment - White doctors are still over-represented in top NHS jobs, study finds
The NHS favours white candidates when hiring for its most prestigious and highly paid positions, researchers have found - Birthing care without racism: five minutes with . . . Kimberly Seals Allers
The author and maternal and infant health strategist explains why she’s determined to tackle the racism and bias that evidence shows is inherent in birth and breastfeeding care
Analysis
- Transforming the health system for the UK’s multiethnic population
The UK health system must take urgent action to better understand and meet the health needs of migrants and ethnic minority people, say Sarah Salway and colleagues
Careers clinic
- Can patients use family members as non-professional interpreters in consultations?
In an emergency, when a patient doesn’t speak your language, it can be tempting to ask a colleague or family member to interpret. This, however, comes with its own risks, as three experts tell Abi Rimmer