Race for equality
It’s time for a serious conversation about racism in the NHS – our campaign equips UNISON branches to tackle discrimination in the workplace
Racism has no place in the NHS
The NHS relies on staff from all around the world, generations of whom have helped make the NHS what it is today. Yet many NHS workers still face racism and inequality every day.
We want to help staff to recognise and challenge racism in the workplace, as we work together to deliver an NHS that respects and values all people.
Racial discrimination is not only wrong – it is against the law. It wastes talent, hurts patients and staff, and holds the NHS back.
What can branches do?
Talk to your regional education officer about organising training for your activists to develop skills in having conversations about racism, supporting members and challenging racism in all its forms.
Ask your employer to ensure that it has an effective policy and protocols for preventing and dealing with racist behaviour from patients to their families and visitors.
Ask your employer to ensure that it has an effective policy and protocols for preventing and dealing with racist behaviour from patients and their visitors/families.
Monitor your own branch casework, check how many disciplinary cases involving Black workers your branch is dealing with and look for patterns for particular groups or in particular teams/settings – for example particular shifts, or a concentration of issues among bank or agency staff.
Work with employers for an end-to-end review and update of recruitment and selection processes, checking where bias could creep in at every stage.
This includes where and how posts are advertised; assessment and scoring processes; and composition and diversity of interview panels. Where Black staff are shortlisted but not appointed, ask for accountability measures to be put in place to scrutinise these outcomes.
Call out ‘tap on the shoulder’ informal practices such as internal expressions of interest, which mean opportunities only go to a narrow circle of staff.
What can I do?
Talk to your branch
Join UNISON’s Black members group
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