Milburn to tackle NHS racism

The Commission for Racial Equality has been asked to investigate whether doctors working in the NHS are racially discriminated against.

Health Secretary Alan Milburn has responded by promising to take action.

The Liberal Democrat's health spokesman Dr Evan Harris has written to the CRE asking it to examine whether ethnic minority doctors working in so-called middle grade posts are being treated unfairly.

Dr Harris wants the CRE to look specifically at the plight of doctors working in non-consultant career grade (NCCG) posts, where over 60% are from ethnic minorities.

Under existing training rules, many doctors from outside the European Union are unable to obtain a Certificate of Completion of Specialist Training - a prerequisite for being employed as a consultant.

There are many doctors in NCCG posts who are quite senior but who are not allowed to apply for consultant posts

Dr Evan Harris, Lib Dem health spokesman

The Lib Dems suggest that this may contravene race discrimination legislation. Dr Harris has also asked the CRE to investigate claims that these doctors are being paid less than their colleagues for carrying out the same type and level of work.

The party also believes that allowing these doctors to become consultants could help the government to achieve its target of recruiting an extra 7,500 consultants.

Dr Harris told BBC News Online: "I want the CRE to look specifically at the treatment of NCCGs.

"There are many doctors in NCCG posts who are quite senior but who are not allowed to apply for consultant posts because they do not have the certificate.

"It is my belief that it happens to be more than coincidence that the majority of these doctors are from ethnic minority backgrounds and because the current system does not allow any way back for these doctors regardless of their ability or skill we believe this is discriminatory. It is also wasting a lot of talent in the NHS."

'Policy is discriminatory'

Dr Mohib Kahn, chairman of the BMA's NCCG sub-committee, welcomed the move.

"I fully support this. The NHS needs sorting out. The current policy is discriminatory. It has resulted in a large number of doctors, many from ethnic minorities, in low grade and low paid jobs. It is quite a serious problem. They are not given any training credit for the job they are doing and cannot progress to consultant level.

"We believe that more than 10,000 doctors mainly from ethnic minorities are trapped in this situation."

Just as there is racism in some parts of British society, we think that there is probably racism in some parts of the NHS

Alan Milburn

Mr Milburn told the BBC said he would look carefully at the Liberal Democrat charge.

"We are actually looking at ways of changing the law so that more overseas qualifications can count towards completion of UK training for doctors. That would be a sensible step.

"Just as there is racism in some parts of British society, we think that there is probably racism in some parts of the NHS.

"We treat that very, very seriously indeed, and we have made it very clear to employers in the NHS that they have got to take action on this issue, and ensure that the staff they employ are more representative of the communities that local health services serve."

Fact of life

The Lib Dem move follows a report by the independent think-tank the Kings Fund which suggested in July that racism is "a daily fact of life" for doctors from ethnic minorities or those who were trained abroad.

The report also suggested that these doctors are sidelined within British medicine and lose out on the best jobs.

A spokesman for the Kings Fund suggested any investigation should also examine the role played by medical bodies.

"We do know from the study we carried out earlier this year that there are major problems in the NHS and that urgent action is needed," he told BBC News Online.

"We would say however that responsibilities does not just lie with the NHS but with the medical bodies as well. The NHS does not control who becomes senior doctors and who doesn't."

The British Medical Association welcomed government plans to widen access to the specialist register.

Dr Peter Hawker, chairman of the BMA's consultants committee, said: "This is a big step forward and something that the BMA has been lobbying for."