Racism and discrimination concerns rise among NHS staff in Cumbria
Concerns have been raised about racism, bullying and discrimination affecting NHS staff in Cumbria, after new workforce figures showed worsening experiences for colleagues from ethnic minority backgrounds.
The latest Workforce Race Equality Standard report for 2025 from North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust shows that 13% of its workforce identified as being from a Black or Minority Ethnic background as of March 2025.
The report says the Trust employed 7,422 colleagues, including 990 BME staff, 6,307 White staff, and 125 staff who had not declared their ethnicity.
It found that BME staff continued to report higher levels of bullying, harassment and discrimination compared with White colleagues.
According to the report, the percentage of BME staff who said they had experienced harassment, bullying or abuse from patients, relatives or members of the public in the previous 12 months rose from 18.8% in the 2023 survey to 28.4% in the 2024 survey.
Reports of harassment, bullying or abuse from other staff also increased among BME colleagues, rising from 23.2% to 31.3% over the same period.
The proportion of BME staff who said they had experienced discrimination at work from a manager, team leader or other colleagues also rose, increasing from 16.1% to 19.9%.
The Trust’s report concludes that the greatest area of concern is bullying, discrimination and harassment of BME colleagues, which it says worsened during 2025.
It says work is now being taken forward through listening events and further research involving key stakeholders, including Freedom to Speak Up, People Services and unions.
The report also highlights recruitment disparities. White applicants were found to be 3.51 times more likely to be appointed from shortlisting than applicants from an ethnic minority background.
However, the Trust says BME staff were equally likely as White staff to enter the disciplinary process, while access to non-mandatory training and continuing professional development was close to parity.
There was also a slight improvement in perceptions of career progression. The percentage of BME staff who believed the organisation provides equal opportunities for career progression or promotion rose from 49.3% to 51.2%.
As part of its action plan, the Trust says it will develop a new EDI strategy with a focus on belonging, continue reverse mentoring around ethnicity, review recruitment practices, and develop bystander training aimed at reducing bullying, discrimination and harassment.
It also plans to grow its network of Respect and Inclusion Ambassadors and provide staff with more opportunities to speak up through listening events and site visits.
The Trust says action plans will be monitored through its EDI Steering Group and Cultural Diversity Staff Network, with the aim of improving outcomes for BME colleagues.