A board meeting for the University Hospitals Tees group, which covers the North and South Tees NHS Foundation Trusts, was told of the experiences of staff in the “global majority” – from African, Asian, dual heritage or previously referred to as ethnic minorities. Non-executive director Mark Dias said: “Data has come through now across both sites, South Tees and North Tees.
“We are seeing significant trends over a period of time where we’re not moving the needle in respect of the victimisation and harassment against the global majority members of our staff. This needs further analysis and work in respect of whether specific groups in which that’s happening, in specific locations, at specific times.
“I think this is a collective responsibility in order for us to be able to move this forward and provide a workplace which is free from harassment for all of our staff at all times.”
The group people committee highlighted a “lack of improvement in the treatment of global majority staff who experience discrimination, bullying and harassment” as an “alert” which needed attention or action by the board. The Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES) pointed out issues including staff experiencing bullying, harassment and abuse from patients, relatives and the public, and discrimination from managers or team leaders.
Both trusts showed an increase in the number of global majority colleagues employed since 2021, and a higher workforce representation compared to local population, but job applicants from a global majority ethnicity had a “decreased likelihood” of being appointed to jobs from shortlisting. There had been a decrease in such staff experiencing bullying, harassment and abuse from other staff compared to the previous year.
Harassment and discrimination statistics
In 2024, almost 34% of staff in North Tees and Hartlepool and 24% in South Tees from a BME (black and minority ethnic) background, experienced harassment, bullying or abuse from patients, relatives or the public in the previous year, compared to 21 to 22% from a white background, compared to a 28% national average. Over 22% of BME staff in North Tees, over 28% in South Tees, had experienced this from staff, compared to a national average of 24.7%.
Over 15% BME staff at North Tees and Hartlepool, almost 20% at South Tees, personally experienced discrimination at work from a manager, team leader or other colleague, compared to under 5% of white staff at North Tees and 7% at South Tees.
Under the Workforce Disability Equality Standard (WDES), in North Tees 26% of staff with a disability had experienced harassment, bullying or abuse from patients, relatives or the public in 2024, 12% experienced it from a manager and almost 20% from other colleagues. In South Tees, the respective figures were 28% from patients, relatives or the public, almost 14% from a manager and almost 28% from other colleagues. Around 27% of disabled staff had felt pressure from a manager to come to work despite not feeling well enough.
Chief people officer comment
Chief people officer Rachael Metcalf said they wanted to listen to stories and experiences from colleagues, with most of the current data coming from staff surveys which had a low response rate: “This looks at bullying and harassment either from your manager, from patients and from your peers. When you look back over a five-year period, there’s been little progress.”
“We’re below the national benchmark but we’re not making improvements. I think the figure we should be looking at is the gap between our non-BME and BME colleagues, that gap is quite significant, as it is with our disabled colleagues and non-disabled colleagues.”
She said they had strong networks which were involved in an action plan, and they would look at a mentor programme which had been successful previously. Also an anti-racism conference would be taking place later in the year, as well as an anti-racism strategy to be introduced.
She said: “At a high level, there are concerns in relation to shortlisting and the likelihood of colleagues being shortlisted from a global majority background.”
There was some querying of the figures, but group chief executive Stacey Hunter said: “I’d be very keen for us to invest significant time hearing directly from the lived experience of the people who work in our organisation. The impact comes from real life experiences of people who are in our employment.”
Last week she wrote a letter to 16,000 staff across the organisation to offer support and condemn acts of racial abuse targeted at health care workers. She said: “I want to highlight serious incidents I was made aware of today relating to a number of our colleagues who have suffered heightened racial abuse in recent days.
“These separate incidents, in this instance happened as they travelled in to work – are, I have no doubt, not isolated occurrences. These appalling events are extremely worrying, and we will not tolerate this type of abuse at any level.
Working on improvement
“We are of course working with these colleagues to offer all of the support they need. I also want to offer my absolute support to any member of University Hospitals Tees who has suffered similar abuse during their day-to-day lives.’
Ms Metcalf said about 16% of staff were from a global majority background: “It is our inclusivity that helps us to be more productive, more efficient and importantly helps us to keep our patients and communities safe.”
She described a positive relationship with Cleveland Police, adding: “It’s important we work with all of our partners over ignorance of any type. I mentioned this just this morning during a meeting with one of our local MPs who wholeheartedly agreed.
“I want to assure colleagues you are not alone. Incidents like this should never be ignored and accepted. I encourage you to please report them.
“We are richer for the diversity of our workplace and our population. It’s one of many things that makes the NHS so great.”
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