One in eight senior managers in the NHS are from black and minority ethnic (BME) backgrounds, according to new figures published today.

The 2024 NHS Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES) report showed that 12.7% of staff at very senior manager level are from these backgrounds – up from one in nine (11.2%) in 2023.

Overall, this marks an 85% increase since 2018 when there were 201 senior managers with black and minority ethnic backgrounds compared to 372 in the latest report.

The proportion of all NHS staff from a BME background has also increased from 26.4% in 2023 to 28.6% as of March 2024.

However, 80% of trusts reported that white applicants were significantly more likely than BME applicants to be appointed from shortlisting.

Overall, the percentage of BME staff (48.8%) that felt that their trust provides equal opportunities for career progression or promotion was lower than for white staff (59.4%).

The 2024 NHS Workforce Disability Equality Standard (WDES) report, also published today, found that disabled people are fairly represented on NHS boards and that candidates who declare their disability on applications are just as likely to be appointed to NHS jobs as non-disabled candidates.

More NHS employers are also making reasonable adjustments that enable disabled staff to carry out their work compared to previous years, but disabled staff remain more than twice as likely to be performance-managed compared to their non-disabled colleagues. They also experienced higher levels of harassment, bullying or abuse from managers and other colleagues.

Dr Navina Evans, NHS Chief Workforce, Training and Education Officer, said:

 “It’s vital that NHS staff from black and minority ethnic backgrounds or those with a disability have equal access to career opportunities so that we can provide the high-quality care for patients.

“This report shows whilst we have made some progress over the past year – in particular through better representation of BME staff in very senior management roles – there is still much more work to be done to make sure all staff are treated fairly.

“NHS employers must continue efforts to create an environment where all staff feel they belong, can safely raise concerns, and are empowered to deliver the best care possible.”