Somerset trust is first in the country to recognise BAME health workers as 'vulnerable' to coronavirus
Black, Asian and ethnic minority (BAME) health workers in Somerset have been warned they are "vulnerable and at risk" of contracting coronavirus.
In a letter to staff, bosses from Somerset NHS Foundation Trust - which looks after Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton - set out how they will support BAME workers as the pandemic continues.
It comes after a review was launched to examine why there appears to be a disproportionate number of people from BAME backgrounds affected by Covid-19.
Part of the letter reads:
The response also follows pressure on Government health officials from the British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (BAPIO).
Progessor Parag Singhal, Secretary of BAPIO and a consultant at Weston General Hospital, is just one health professional from the West Country who has raised concerns.
Data from the Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre (ICNARC) suggests more than 30% of critically ill coronavirus patients are from BAME backgrounds.
A large proportion of NHS workers who have died after testing positive for the virus also had BAME heritage - including those from the West Country.
Health workers in Somerset are also being encouraged to make sure they are fitted with the right personal protective equipment (PPE) when working on the frontline.
The letter states all BAME colleagues who work with Covid-19 patients and need to use a "FFP3 mask" will be supported to do as "as soon as possible".
The trust has also promised to include BAME workers and their families in the priority list for testing during the first five days of symptoms.
They have also been told that taking sick leave as a result of the virus will not affect job roles or future career progression.
Peter Lewis, Chief Executive of the trust, said the wellbeing of BAME colleagues in Somerset is a "high priority" at this time.