London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Aug 25, 2025

NHS race review should be cue to finally tackle health inequalities

NHS race review should be cue to finally tackle health inequalities

Analysis: NHS Race and Health Observatory highlights structural racism and a failure to act

The creation of the NHS Race and Health Observatory, which has compiled a devastating review of inequalities suffered by people of colour within the health system, came after it emerged that people from different minority ethnic groups were at higher risk of dying from Covid. According to an Office for National Statistics analysis, black people were four times as likely as white people to die from coronavirus early in the pandemic.

Many explanations were put forward for the disparities, while people of colour were over-represented among Covid patients in intensive care units. These included them being more likely to be key workers in face-to-face roles – the fact that the first 12 doctors to die of coronavirus were people of colour was an early alarm bell signalling unequal risks. Another theory was that some minority ethnic groups are more likely to live in multigenerational households.

But another contributing factor was health inequality. While Covid – and the Black Lives Matter movement – may have shone a light on them, they were by no means previously unknown. The fact that the observatory pored over 178 studies, dating back a decade, illustrates that health inequalities were no secret among those charged with maintaining the nation’s health.

Long before Covid, it was known that there was a higher prevalence of heart disease, diabetes and kidney disease among certain minority ethnic groups. The race disparity audit published in 2017 under Theresa May’s government showed that most Asian groups expressed lower levels of satisfaction and less positive experiences of NHS services than other minority ethnic groups.

Additionally, black women were the most likely to have experienced a common mental disorder such as anxiety or depression in the previous week, and black men were the most likely to have experienced a psychotic disorder in the past year. However, white Britons were more likely to be receiving treatment for a mental or emotional problem than adults in other groups.

However, rather than taking up the baton of change presented by his predecessor, Boris Johnson’s government disbanded the race disparity audit advisory unit and set up its own commission to come up with new findings on racial inequalities. In its report, published in March last year, the Sewell commission was accused of glossing over health inequalities and the reasons for them while downplaying structural racism generally.

NHS Providers was among those who challenged the commission’s findings, saying “to pretend that discrimination does not exist is damaging as is denying the link between structural racism and wider health inequalities”.

The observatory not only identifies inequalities in every area of healthcare it reviewed but says that these have long been known about – yet there has been a failure to act.

Many of their findings will come as no surprise to healthcare workers, particularly those of colour, who have long complained of racism within the NHS, suffered by patients as well as staff. Workforce inequalities are also covered within the observatory’s review.

Having provided an incisive analysis of the nature and scale of health inequalities within the NHS, the next challenge is for the review to prompt sure and substantive action. Otherwise it will be just another addition to the litany of papers that have identified health inequalities, albeit one of unparalleled depth and expertise.

Health inequalities are not only unjust but also cost the NHS and economy money. As under-resourced and overstretched as the organisation is, having backed the creation of the observatory it is in everyone’s interests – including those of the government – for it to act on the independent body’s recommendations.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
A new faith called Robotheism claims artificial intelligence isn’t just smart but actually God itself
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Purchases Third Property Amid Housing Tax Reforms Debate
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Italian Facebook Group Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent Shut Down Amid Police Investigation
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
Sam Nicoresti becomes first transgender comedian to win Edinburgh Comedy Award
Builders uncover historic human remains in Lancashire house renovation
Australia Wants to Tax Your Empty Bedrooms
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
FBI Investigates John Bolton Over Classified Documents in High-Profile Raids
Report reveals OpenAI pitched national ChatGPT Plus subscription to UK ministers
Labour set to freeze income tax thresholds in long-term 'stealth' tax raid
Coca‑Cola explores sale of Costa coffee chain
Trial hears dog walker was chased and fatally stabbed by trio
Restaurateur resigns from government hospitality council over tax criticism
Spanish City funfair shut after serious ride injury
Suspected arson at Ilford restaurant leaves three in critical condition
Tottenham beat Manchester City to go top of Premier League
Bank holiday heatwave to hit 30°C before remnants of Hurricane Erin arrive
UK to deploy immigration advisers to West Africa to block fake visas
Nurse who raped woman continued working for a year despite police alert
Drought forces closures of England’s canal routes, canceling boat holidays
Sweet tooth scents: food-inspired perfumes surge as weight-loss drugs suppress appetites
Experts warn Britain dangerously reliant on imported food
Family of Notting Hill Carnival murder victim call event unmanageable
Bunkers, Billions and Apocalypse: The Secret Compounds of Zuckerberg and the Tech Giants
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
MSNBC Rebrands as MS NOW Amid Comcast’s Cable Spin-Off
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
×