Vow to protect Sandwell Hospital Bame staff
The boss of an NHS trust has pledged to ensure its black, Asian and minority ethnic (Bame) workers are protected amid evidence suggesting they are more at risk from Covid-19.
More than 40 per cent of the workforce and Sandwell and Birmingham City hospitals are Bame.
Toby Lewis, chief executive of the trust which runs the hospitals, said extra effort was being made staff are protected as much as possible.
Figures have shown a greater proportion of Bame people have contracted coronavirus, with a number of possible reasons put forward by experts. All NHS trusts were sent advice regarding their Bame staff last week as protection efforts were stepped up.
Mr Lewis, of the Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, said: "The focus on the safety and wellbeing of black and minority ethnic staff is crucial.
"The trust has considered carefully best practice and recent guidance from NHS Employers. We will work with professional bodies and with our staff network, and explore neighbouring trust offers, to make certain that our support to more than 40 per cent of our workforce is truly outstanding, well used, and is effective.
"All of our staff data is collated with protected characteristics, including our swabbing information."
