“So where are you really from?” This question is not infrequent for Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) doctors working in the NHS. It can often come from the patient or the colleagues that you work with every day. Although this question may be directed at an individual out of curiosity, it has a profound impact on the individual on the receiving end.
It reduces individuals to a stereotype, relying on the melanin count in their skin to form assumptions about their race or origin. It implicitly reinforces the long-standing racial inequalities that persist within the NHS: a healthcare system that, despite its progress, still struggles with deeply embedded disparities. The NHS today is more diverse than it ever has been.
In fact, just over 24 per cent of the workforce are from BME backgrounds. Despite this, healthcare professionals from these BME backgrounds don’t have a level playing field with their white counterparts. The GMC (General Medical Council) published the 'Workplace Experiences' 2024 report in August.
Among UK graduates, ethnic minority doctors generally reported poorer experiences than white doctors. A quarter of ethnic minority UK graduate doctors were at high risk of burnout, compared with 20 per cent of white UK graduate doctors. The GMC and British Medical Association have proposed recommendations to address these shortcomings.
While positive strides are being taken, they have not resulted in tangible improvements for doctors from ethnic minority backgrounds..
