Trust Board Inclusion Statements
Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities Report
The report from the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities, published on 31 March 2021, says that the UK no longer has a system rigged against people from ethnic minorities. The Board of Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust wishes to clearly state it disagrees with these conclusions of this report.
It is important that the narrative within this report is challenged as it denies the lived experience of members of our ethnic minority communities who face racism and discrimination on a daily basis.
While some progress has been made, to claim that racism and discrimination is no longer a problem is damaging and denies the link between structural racism and wider health inequalities. This position risks distracting us from addressing the issues of those who historically have experienced poor health outcomes.
With regard to the NHS, the largest employer in the country, there is clear evidence within the National Staff Survey and the latest Workforce Race Equality Standard report that staff from ethnic minorities have worse experiences at work and that ethnic background is the most common reason for discrimination. This picture is mirrored when we look at health outcomes.
To achieve change, first there needs to be an honest conversation about racism, its structural roots, and its impact. It is only then that mindsets can change so that privilege and prejudices can be dispelled.
Through the NHS People Plan the NHS has made a commitment to ensure that NHS organisations provide an environment where everyone looks after each other and there is a culture of inclusion and belonging. The Board of Dorset County Hospital NHS FT is committed to delivering this people promise and our determination to tackle all forms of discrimination and structural and systemic racism is unwavering.
Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities Report
The report from the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities, published on 31 March 2021, says that the UK no longer has a system rigged against people from ethnic minorities. The Board of Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust wishes to clearly state it disagrees with these conclusions of this report.
It is important that the narrative within this report is challenged as it denies the lived experience of members of our ethnic minority communities who face racism and discrimination on a daily basis.
While some progress has been made, to claim that racism and discrimination is no longer a problem is damaging and denies the link between structural racism and wider health inequalities. This position risks distracting us from addressing the issues of those who historically have experienced poor health outcomes.
With regard to the NHS, the largest employer in the country, there is clear evidence within the National Staff Survey and the latest Workforce Race Equality Standard report that staff from ethnic minorities have worse experiences at work and that ethnic background is the most common reason for discrimination. This picture is mirrored when we look at health outcomes.
To achieve change, first there needs to be an honest conversation about racism, its structural roots, and its impact. It is only then that mindsets can change so that privilege and prejudices can be dispelled.
Through the NHS People Plan the NHS has made a commitment to ensure that NHS organisations provide an environment where everyone looks after each other and there is a culture of inclusion and belonging. The Board of Dorset County Hospital NHS FT is committed to delivering this people promise and our determination to tackle all forms of discrimination and structural and systemic racism is unwavering.
Black Lives Matter
The Black Lives Matter movement has shone a light on the racism and discrimination our Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic colleagues and friends continue to face throughout the world.
We are proud of the diversity of our staff and we must celebrate this. Staff from minority communities play a fundamental part in, and make a vital contribution to, the NHS in Dorset.
We don't have to look far from home to see the challenges faced by people from minority communities. Sadly, our own Staff Survey results show that staff from minority communities are often treated differently and are more likely to have negative experiences in the workplace.
That is simply not acceptable and we are committed to creating a culture of inclusion at Dorset County Hospital with fairness, equity and equality at its heart.
We will not tolerate racism and discrimination in any form and we want DCH to be a place where all staff feel safe, protected and listened to. As a Trust we are committed to doing everything we can to achieve this.
Our Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Network brings together staff from many different backgrounds and we are keen to continue to work closely with them to ensure their views and ideas are represented and responded to.
Our aim is for every colleague we work with and every patient we treat to feel equal and valued. Only then will we have got our culture right.
In October 2020 Chief Executive Patricia Miller was named as one of the 50 most influential BAME people in health in the HSJ. Read more here.
Inclusion Week 2020
To mark Inclusion Week 2020 the Trust launched its #IAm photo exhibition to highlight and celebrate the diversity of our amazing staff here at Team DCH! We lined the corridors with images of our staff to show that although we all come from different backgrounds, we are one team.
The exhibition now has a permanent home in Damers Restaurant.
Each member of our Trust Board made their own personal pledge in support of the Black Lives Matter Movement.