Nhs: Bme Staff 'more Likely To Be Bullied Than White Colleagues'

[mikey4444]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-36427577

You might be forgiven for thinking that in a caring profession like the NHS, racism would be difficult to find, but it appears to be rife.

[fiction-factory]

Maybe it's more to do with perception of being bullied or an expectation of being bullied so issues are more likely to be perceived thus

[Old_Geezer]

Well they are more likely to report it anyway. But I think it is to be expected. Everything else being equal (not that it is of course) a small number of the type of folk who tend to bully and who are uncomfortable with others of a different race/culture are going to skew the percentage.

[anotheoldgit]

/// Black and ethnic minority staff working in the NHS are more likely to report being bullied or harassed than their white colleagues ///

Nothing new there, it goes with their culture, and they are always more likely to be listened to, than if white persons happen to complain.

[mikey4444]

I agree OG.

But BME staff are very numerous in the NHS, and my point about racism has always been that it tends to be worse in circumstances where there aren't many BME people, not where they constitute a large minority.

When I worked for BT up in Town, for two years in the late 80's, I can honestly say that I rarely, if ever heard any racism amongst my colleagues.

Perhaps that was due to lots of black chaps being around all the time ! Anybody mouthing off and using the usual racist terms would not have lasted very long !

[Peter Pedant]

yeah or no
the issue with harassment ( speaking from personal experience ) is that it depends totally on what the victim perceives

in school historical research far more people said they were bullied than were bullies - like you know there were nt enough bullies to supply all the alleged bullying....

the first stop in telling someone not to do something
like you know an administrator and telling them they have to adhere either to the law or their own disciplinary rules is for them to respond
'you're harassing me'
and do you know they actually think that means they dont have to do whatever it is they have to do

[naomi24]

Mikey, have you bothered to read the article?

// the report said a higher percentage of BME workers than white colleagues reported being harassed, bullied or abused by staff in three-quarters of so-called acute trusts ….. //

If white workers don’t report incidents but BME workers do, the report is meaningless. It just means that BME workers are making more of an issue of it.

By the way, I didn’t see the word ‘racism' in that article - but perhaps, like you, the people who are reporting these incidents construe it as such. Maybe some of the complainers are just not doing their jobs properly and deserve a dressing down.

[anotheoldgit]

/// Perhaps that was due to lots of black chaps being around all the time ! Anybody mouthing off and using the usual racist terms would not have lasted very long ! ///

I do hope that means that they would have been most likely to be disciplined by their employers, and not what it appears that you mean.

[Peter Pedant]

// Anybody mouthing off and using the usual racist terms would not have lasted very long !//

never heard that in thirty years Mikey -
the patients mouth off of course - usually the olds to be honest

most of it is - "you are treating me like this because I am black"
whereas perhaps they are treated like an XYZ because they have been hired to be an XYZ ...

altho this case
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/9003744/1m-for-NHS-manager-Elliot-Browne-who-was-targeted-for-his-colour.html



I regret, was my employer ..... this was a bad year for my ex-employer who had to pay doctors legal fees £135k for trying unlawfully to change their contracts and another estimated 250k for trying to do the same thing to the ancillary staff ( different courts different costs )

were the three cases connected - well yeah the staff got the idea the trust was being really badly advised in legal matters - so that things that seemed unlawful probably were ....

[Peter Pedant]

// I do hope that means that they would have been most likely to be disciplined by their employers,//

I can assure you that this is done ( enthusiastically even ) by NHS employers.

[Old_Geezer]

I've worked in BT too. I didn't see active bullying (maybe a higher standard seemingly expected allowing for criticism on occasion) but I was aware of racist opinions held by a number of folk. I didn't take a survey to find a percentage, I guess those few individuals tended to stand out to me. But it still existed.

[anotheoldgit]

Old_Geezer

/// but I was aware of racist opinions held by a number of folk. ///

As it has been proven on this site negative criticism of anyone who is not white, is always likely to be classed as a racist opinion, therefore one criticises non white folk at their peril.

[viv41]

Agree with aog at 9:05.

[Old_Geezer]

Interpretation of intend is easier/more obvious when you work with the folk AOG. Most were pleasant enough folk, but flawed in that respect.

[Orderlimit]

Have you read the report Mikey?

[mikey4444]

Yes, I have, which is why I posted this thread in the first place.

From the 1st page of the BBC link :::

"NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens said the results were "deeply concerning and a clear call to action".

Its quite clear why has been happening...BME staff appear to have been bullied. Why...because they had ginger hair ? .....No, purely because they were BME.

[naomi24]

Orderlimit, he read it but he didn't understand it.

[THECORBYLOON]

NAOMI, on another thread you said, " If members of ethnic minorities weren’t so eager to play the race card at every perceived slight they would have a better chance of gaining equal opportunities. Why are they surprised that employers regard them with caution?"

The Report says "52% of the 153 acute trusts in England show lower percentages of BME staff experiencing harassment, bullying or abuse from patients, relatives or the public when compared
to White staff."

If minorities are so quick to take offence, why the discrepancies between the figures for colleagues and figures for patients, relatives & members of the public?

[Svejk]

2 million quid of NHS money up the swanee. Erm, has everyone been cured?

[Svejk]

The NHS is stuffed to the gills with race-hustlers who need to justify their jobs. They should stick to making people well, not altering society.

[Peter Pedant]

I noticed that too Corbo

if the BME were serial complainers you would expect the same raised level of perceived insults from the patients - so it acts as a sort of control group