NHS Race and Health Observatory Response to the Care Quality Commission’s annual State of Care Report 2022/23

Dr Habib Naqvi, Chief Executive of the NHS Race and Health Observatory, said:

“The Care Quality Commission’s latest report is yet another reminder of the stark inequalities that persist in healthcare access, experience and outcomes across for Black, Asian and ethnic minority people. These inequalities are longstanding problems in healthcare which we outlined in our rapid evidence review into ethnic inequalities in healthcare last year.

The report’s focus on racial disparities and bias – whether in maternity care, inappropriate restraint of Black patients in mental heath settings, or less than optimal care for sickle cell patients – highlights the scale of the challenge we have. These are all areas that the NHS Race and Health Observatory is now focussing on.

Whilst these are longstanding variations, it’s important that we do not become desensitised to health inequalities data, nor normalised to the qualitative experiences of Black, Asian and ethnic minority patients. There is much to do on this critical agenda, and it’s important that, as we continue to pursue change, we do not lose sight of the pernicious and continuing influence of persistent racial bias in policies, processes and behaviours across the healthcare system.

We contributed evidence to this report and look forward to working with healthcare organisations, including the Care Quality Commission, and with stakeholders, in supporting leaders across the healthcare system to take action. We do this by presenting irrefutable evidence, data-driven recommendations for change, implementation support, and by removing the excuses that have persisted for far too long.”