Racial discrimination at Brighton hospital trust highlighted in report

Racial discrimination at Brighton and Hove’s main hospital trust has been highlighted in another official report.

The findings, in the NHS Workforce Race Equality Standard Report, echo criticisms in the report last year by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

The CQC said that the Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs the Royal Sussex County Hospital, was inadequate. It is now in “special measures”.

The author of the latest report, Vivienne Lyfar-Cissé, told the Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals (BSUH) board: “There is a lot of evidence that BME (black and minority ethnic) staff are discriminated against.”

And she told the board: “What we haven’t had for any substantial period of time is a board that reflects the diverse ethnic make up of the staff.”

Even though almost one in five members of the 5,800 clinical staff (19.8 per cent) were from BME backgrounds, the board only had white directors.

Among 2,100 non-clinical staff, just over 10 per cent were from a BME background but they made up almost 25 per cent of band 1 staff – the lowest paid.

But they were almost twice as likely to be subject to disciplinary action.

She made no mention of the problems in the digestive diseases department or neurosurgery where race-related problems have affected performance and led to tribunal cases.

Or of the financial aspect – race-related tribunal cases are believed to have cost BSUH more than £1 million over the past ten years.

But she did say: “One member of staff was told to go home now that we’ve voted for Brexit. That was a case I dealt with last week.

“The racial harassment of our BME staff needs to be addressed.”

Her proposals – presented in the Workforce Race Equality Standard Report that the trust is required to produce – were rejected because a new board is expected to take over in April.

She was told that it would be left for the new board – led by senior members of neighbouring Western Sussex Hospitals – to decide how to address Dr Lyfar-Cissé’s findings.

Instead the board noted her report.

Hospital trusts were told in 2014 to start tackling race discrimination properly after a report called The Snowy White Peaks of the NHS.

It found that BME staff were treated less favourably than white staff in recruitment, including to boards, access to career development, disciplinary processes, were bullied more and were victimised more seriously if they were whistle-blowers.

In the CQC report on the Brighton hospital trust, the official watchdog said: “Staff from BME backgrounds and other groups with protected characteristics reported that bullying, harassment and discrimination were rife in the organisation.

“Staff complained that inconsistent application of human resource policies and advice contributed to inequality – but the board had been slow to address longstanding cultural issues within the trust.”

Professor Edward Baker, the deputy chief inspector of hospitals, said: “It is clear that the problems we have found on this inspection go right through Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust.

“It is a matter of some concern that we found there was a distinct disconnect between the trust board and staff working in clinical areas.”

At the time – last August – BSUH said: “We recognise we have much to do as a trust to tackle the longstanding issues we face towards creating a culture of equality and fairness for all our staff.”