"They should tackle genuine health inequalities"
NHS hospitals have signed up to an anti-racism awards scheme that sets race quotas for leadership positions.
Thirty trusts have joined the programme. To achieve gold status, boards must include minimum numbers of black, Asian or minority ethnic directors.
Steve Barclay, a former health secretary, said: “The NHS should have a relentless focus on developing a meritocracy – not on hitting arbitrary ideological targets, which can distort behaviours in organisations.”
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the absence of black staff from NHS boardrooms was “glaring” but warned against “box-ticking” exercises.
He said: “Jobs should always be given on merit, but I refuse to believe a lack of talent explains the absence of black leaders in the top NHS jobs.
“EDI [equality, diversity and inclusion] initiatives should not be there as some sort of box-ticking or time-wasting exercise.
“They should tackle genuine health inequalities for patients as well as rooting out workplace discrimination.”
As health secretary, Mr Barclay ordered NHS chiefs not to create specialist inclusion roles. The NHS refused to follow his instructions.
Mr Streeting has not reversed the order. This month, he criticised “misguided” diversity and inclusion agendas, including one that boasted of an “anti-whiteness stance”.
Under the Anti-Racist Network, hospitals, ambulance services and care boards in the North West must reach bronze status by March 2025.
This requires appointing an executive or director-level EDI sponsor committed to advancing anti-racism.
For silver status, all managers and senior clinical staff must have an equality, diversity and inclusion goal in their personal development plan.
An executive director must also attend “black, Asian and minority ethnic” staff network meetings at least four times a year.
To reach gold, a board’s ethnic diversity must match local demographics or include at least one black, Asian or minority ethnic member, whichever is higher.
The North West Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Assembly, backed by NHS England North West, brings together more than 70 NHS leaders.
Evelyn Asante-Mensah, who co-chairs the assembly, said:
“As inclusive leaders, it is vital that we all look at each of the areas set out in this anti-racist framework and seek to embed the change needed to transform our own departments and teams into places where this activity is not seen as just a nice to do but is seen as mission-critical to all that we stand for.”
She said senior colleagues must support these efforts, adding:
“While there is not a one size fits all solution to advancing equity within any one organisation, we hope that the guidance and structure provided will help with the task of co-creating the solutions that will work for organisations to address racial inequalities faced by their workforce, patients and the communities served.”
An analysis by Mr Barclay found NHS bosses had ignored his order to scrap diversity roles.
Since Sir Keir Starmer’s Government took power, more than 35 EDI roles have been advertised. Most allowed remote work and some offered salaries exceeding £80,000.
Earlier in February 2025, Mr Streeting told a Macmillan Cancer Support event:
“Sometimes there are some really daft things being done in the name of equality, diversity and inclusion, which undermine the cause.
“For example, there was one member of NHS staff who was merrily tweeting a job ad online and saying part of her practice was anti-whiteness.
“And I just thought ‘what the hell does that say to the bloke up in Wigan who’s more likely to die earlier than his more affluent white counterpart down in London?’.
“We’ve got real issues of inequality that affect working-class people. The ideological hobby horses need to go.”
Mr Streeting was referring to a post by Dr Florencia Gysbertha, a counselling psychologist at East London NHS Foundation Trust.
She had called for trainees for an NHS placement and wrote:
“The trainee will be supervised by myself, a counselling psychologist, who integrates anti-whiteness/anti-racist praxis into supervision and approaches to clinical work.”
East London NHS Foundation Trust said: “A post was shared last year by one colleague, using their own social media, which does not in any way represent the views, values or recruitment practices of the trust and this matter was addressed internally.
“The trust promotes equity, diversity and inclusion in all aspects of its work and services to the community.”
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