Black, Asian and other minority ethnicity doctors 'still don't feel protected from coronavirus' in the workplace
Watch the full report by Health Corresspondent James Crichton-Smith
A survey from the British Medical Association has found that, one year on, Black, Asian and other minority ethnicity doctors 'still don't feel protected from coronavirus' in the workplace.
Thousands of doctors from Black, Asian and other minority ethnic backgrounds told a BMA survey that they continue to be 'only partly or not at all protected', from the risk of Covid-19 infection in their place of work.
It found that whilst 28 per cent said they did feel fully protected, 72 per cent said they felt only partly or not protected at all. For non-BAME respondents that figure was 60 per cent.
In the survey, doctors were also asked about their confidence in having sufficient and properly tested and fitted PPE during this current wave.
16 per cent of those surveyed said they were not at all confident and just under 25 per cent said they were only partly confident. For white respondents the figures were just under 10 per cent and just under 17 per cent respectively.
The survey also revealed that a little over 46 per cent said they had been risk assessed at work and felt confident that appropriate adjustments had been made, but 14 per cent said they have not been assessed and feel that adjustments are needed, and a further 15 per cent said whilst they have been assessed, the adjustments now need updating.
The British Medical Association surveyed almost 8,000 doctors and medical students from across England, Wales and Northern Ireland in December to produce its findings.
Dr Chaand Nagpaul, Chair of BMA Council said, "We should not have a situation in this country where health and social care workers - BAME or otherwise - are feeling unsafe or at risk from death or disease in their workplace - especially in the NHS where that work is to save the lives of others. It is untenable that a year into his pandemic we are seeing results like this."
"These results underpin a horrible truth; we have known from very early on in the pandemic that health and social care workers of BAME background are more likely to become ill and die from this virus. Covid has exacerbated existing racial and cultural inequities within our health service that have contributed to this disparity."
"The BMA has lobbied long and hard for greater protection and effective risk assessment for at-risk BAME workers and we now want the Westminster Government to bring in proper solutions to address the known ethnic disparities and inequalities. We need to see further and better research and investment, focussed on where it is most needed to bring an end to this dreadful state of affairs."
A Welsh Government spokesperson said: "Unfortunately, as we all know, the Covid-19 pandemic is having a disproportionate impact on our Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities, that's why the First Minister established his BAME Covid-19 Advisory Group chaired by Judge Ray Singh to help advise the Chief Medical Officer and Welsh Government and to make recommendations about what more could be done to address the disproportionate impact.
"The group work with stakeholders from BAME communities and expert advisers within Wales and across the UK, including Public Health England, to share information, increase awareness and develop practical steps to protect our BAME communities working in our healthcare sector.
"In partnership with the expert group, we swiftly developed the 'COVID-19 Workforce Risk Assessment Tool', a two-stage system designed to help people understand their individual risk to then be followed by a conversation with employers about their individual risk factors and the specific actions which can be taken to help reduce those risks at work.
"It's important that we help support and allay any fear or anxiety for our BAME healthcare staff, making sure we empower them to stay safe and ensure their employers are fulfilling their legal, moral and ethical obligations towards the safety of all staff."