Statement in response to publication of the NHS Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES) 2024 data analysis

Responding to publication of the NHS Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES) data analysis for 2024, Owen Chinembiri, assistant director, workforce, NHS Race and Health Observatory, said:

The 2024 Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES) data report shows that the NHS workforce is becoming more ethnically diverse, at a faster rate, than ever before. In 2019, around 20% of NHS staff were from an ethnic minority background, it’s now at around 30%. The increase in numbers is mostly down to the international recruitment of doctors, nurses and health care assistants.

There are positives to be welcomed in the report, such as the highest numbers of ethnic minority staff in senior pay bands and on board level positions than before. However, these increases have not kept pace with the overall increase in ethnic minority staff in the NHS, as evidenced by the ever-growing gap between overall workforce representation and representation in senior positions.

Levels of bullying harassment and abuse also remain unacceptably high. NHS Staff Survey data show that race is still the biggest reason why people experience discrimination in the NHS.

In recent years, tackling race inequality and racism has been important for the NHS. However, as the proportion of people from an ethnic minority background working in the NHS increases rapidly, the need to tackle racism and bias becomes even more urgent and important.

Tackling workforce inequality is a key feature in the NHS Race and Health Observatory’s  2025 -2027 strategy launched earlier this year. We have started our key programmes of work in this area that focus on (i) the ethnicity pay and progression gap and (ii) reducing bullying, harassment and abuse across the workforce. These programmes of work aim to produce actionable insights and examples of good practice to help organisations and systems close the gaps in experiences and opportunities between White and ethnic minority staff working in the NHS.