Coronavirus: Ethnic Groups

(asked on 16th July 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department has published for Black, Asian and minority ethnic NHS (a) patients and (b) employees in response to the findings of Public Health England’s report: ‘Beyond the data: Understanding the impact of COVID-19 on BAME groups, published in June 2020.


Answered by
Helen Whately Portrait
Helen Whately
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
This question was answered on 8th September 2020

In April, the Chief People Officer, launched a comprehensive programme to address the issue of impact of COVID-19 on the black, Asian and minority ethnic workforce underpinned by three principles of protecting, supporting and engaging staff. On 28 April NHS Employers published risk assessment guidance, which was subsequently updated on 29 May. On 12 May the Faculty of Occupational Medicine published a risk reduction framework to support risk assessments. In addition, on 24 June NHS England and NHS Improvement wrote to all National Health Service trusts to encourage deployment of risk assessments for all ‘at risk’ groups within four weeks.

The Government has also provided a wide range of guidance to support the country in tackling COVID-19. Considerable efforts are now underway including work with stakeholder groups to help ensure messages are disseminated into different communities in culturally appropriate ways. For example, in Leicester, assets have been translated into 12 different languages, and a range of local community voices, such as faith leaders and local general practitioners, are engaged in supporting the campaign.

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