Black bank staff six times more likely to be disciplined

Black British bank workers are nearly six times more likely to enter a formal disciplinary, compared to their white colleagues, NHS England analysis has found.

Data from the first NHS bank workforce race equality standard report, seen by HSJ, revealed those from minority ethnic backgrounds were 3.3 times more likely to enter these processes.

For black or black British workers specifically, the multiple rises to 5.7 times that of white colleagues.

Both figures are much bigger than the discrepancy among substantive staff, which for all staff with a minority ethnic background is 1.03 times.

Bank staff from “other ethnic groups”, according to NHSE, were 1.3 times more likely, followed by Asian or Asian British staff, where it was 1.2 times more likely.

The report said: “[Black and minority ethnic] bank workers in the East of England and London regions had the highest relative likelihood of entering a formal disciplinary process as compared to their white counterparts at 4.21 and 4.15 times, respectively.

“Further ethnicity breakdown suggests that workers from black or black British, African heritage had the highest likelihood of entering a formal disciplinary process in all regions.

“Expanding on this point, the Midlands had the highest rate at 8.22, followed by the East of England at 6.78 and London at 5.79 times.”

Participation was not mandatory for trusts, but according to NHSE, there were 171,651 active bank workers in March 2023 across the 164 organisations which contributed. About 31 per cent of these workers were from an ethnic minority background — higher than the 26 per cent of the substantive workforce.

The figures covered a 12-month period.

NHSE’s analysis also found bank workers from ethnic minority backgrounds were 1.4 times more likely to be formally dismissed for conduct and capability procedures than white colleagues; with the highest rate among Asian or Asian British Pakistani workers.

Workplace experiences

The report also included figures from a national bank survey, in which 157 trusts participated out of 212. However, the survey garnered a response rate of just 18 per cent.

Its findings showed 27 per cent of bank workers from ethnic minority backgrounds said they had personally experienced discrimination from patients, relatives, or members of the public, compared to 7 per cent of their white colleagues.

This drops to 20 per cent and 5 per cent respectively among substantive staff.

Similarly, 28 per cent of the same group said they had personally experienced physical violence from patients or service users, their relatives, or other members of the public during the same period. For white bank workers, this was 24 per cent.

However, the report said: “A higher percentage of BME workers (50.2 per cent) than white bank workers (44 per cent) felt that their organisation values their work.

“This is higher than the levels of observed in the substantive workforce, where 47.8 per cent of BME staff felt that their work was valued, compared to 41.5 per cent of their white counterpart.

“Over two-thirds of BME (68.2 per cent) and white (69.8 per cent) of bank workers thought that their organisation respected individual differences.”

Again this is slightly higher than substantive staff.

Professor Habib Naqvi, chief executive of the NHS Race and Health Observatory, told HSJ: “Urgent action is needed to tackle the unacceptable levels of racism, bias and discrimination… 

“Of utmost concern, given these are often zero-hour contracts which do not offer bank employees with job security, is the highest levels of discrimination these employees face from patients and colleagues.”

An NHSE spokesman said: “This data shows there is much more work that we need to do to address many of the inequalities that exist within the NHS workforce.”