CEO of the Race Equality Foundation, Jabeer Butt OBE said: “Caring for our communities should mean leaving no-one behind, but the pandemic has exposed the cruel reality of inequalities in health and care today. This report confirms the disproportionate impact of Covid on both people receiving care and healthcare staff from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds. It is right to ask why Black and minority ethnic staff were more likely to be working on Covid-specific wards and it is deeply worrying that the CQC say ‘tackling inequalities was often not a main priority for systems.’
“Equally worrying is that many health inequalities are long-standing, with some evidence that action to address these has only been partially implemented. It is deeply disappointing that while targets were set for ensuring pregnant Black and minority ethnic women received continuity of care, the CQC found that only small numbers of women received this support and in some areas the teams were ‘put on hold or disbanded’. In building back better we need to demonstrate how we are building back fairer by addressing racial inequality.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
1. About the Race Equality Foundation
The Race Equality Foundation is a national charity tackling racial inequality across public services to improve the lives of Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. Its areas of work cover health and care, housing, children and families, employment, communities and more.
2. Press contact: comms@racefound.org.uk / 07593 454182
