Jul 1, 2025 08:21 PM
(This post was last modified: Jul 1, 2025 08:21 PM by C C.)
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1089513
INTRO: Racism and sexism are “alarmingly normalised” within the structures and person-to-person interactions across the NHS, and the NHS has delayed acknowledging and learning from the evidence, says a report from the BMJ Commission on the Future of the NHS, published in The BMJ today.
There is an ethical imperative for the government and NHS institutions to act now, it concludes.
On a wider scale, discrimination and inequities related to protected characteristics, such as race and ethnicity, sex and gender, age, disability, sexuality, religion and belief have a major impact on the health of the public the NHS serves—and on staff wellbeing—says the report.
Discrimination and inequities contribute to increased risk of physical and mental health conditions, limit access to care, shape negative experiences of illness and encounters with services, and lead to worse overall health outcomes, including mortality, it highlights.
As well as having a major impact on population health, discrimination and inequity also have huge financial consequences for the UK economy. Every year health inequity leads to productivity losses of £31-£33bn, lost taxes, and increased welfare payments of £20-£32bn, as well as direct healthcare costs of at least £5.5bn, it points out.
After reviewing the evidence, the report makes recommendations for the UK government, healthcare leaders, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and equivalent regulators, and the NHS on tackling discrimination and inequities across the NHS to enhance the experience of patients and staff and improve health outcomes... (MORE - details, no ads)
INTRO: Racism and sexism are “alarmingly normalised” within the structures and person-to-person interactions across the NHS, and the NHS has delayed acknowledging and learning from the evidence, says a report from the BMJ Commission on the Future of the NHS, published in The BMJ today.
There is an ethical imperative for the government and NHS institutions to act now, it concludes.
On a wider scale, discrimination and inequities related to protected characteristics, such as race and ethnicity, sex and gender, age, disability, sexuality, religion and belief have a major impact on the health of the public the NHS serves—and on staff wellbeing—says the report.
Discrimination and inequities contribute to increased risk of physical and mental health conditions, limit access to care, shape negative experiences of illness and encounters with services, and lead to worse overall health outcomes, including mortality, it highlights.
As well as having a major impact on population health, discrimination and inequity also have huge financial consequences for the UK economy. Every year health inequity leads to productivity losses of £31-£33bn, lost taxes, and increased welfare payments of £20-£32bn, as well as direct healthcare costs of at least £5.5bn, it points out.
After reviewing the evidence, the report makes recommendations for the UK government, healthcare leaders, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and equivalent regulators, and the NHS on tackling discrimination and inequities across the NHS to enhance the experience of patients and staff and improve health outcomes... (MORE - details, no ads)
