This is the GMC's fifth annual update on progress against its equality, diversity and inclusion commitments, reporting meaningful improvements in some areas while highlighting where further action is needed.
The report shows significant progress in improving fairness in employer referrals, following five years of work to tackle longstanding inequalities in healthcare. However, the GMC says discrimination, racism and unequal opportunities continue to affect doctors and medical students, and that coordinated action is still needed to address entrenched inequalities in medical education and training.
Dr Rosie Benneyworth, Interim Chief Executive said:
“We welcome the progress reported by the GMC in reducing disproportionate employer referrals and its continued commitment to tackling discrimination, disadvantage and unfairness in medicine.
“Our investigations consistently highlight the importance of creating healthcare systems and cultures in which staff are treated fairly, supported to speak up and able to contribute to learning and improvement. Understanding how inequalities affect medical professionals is crucial to ensuring wellbeing, retaining a skilled and diverse workforce and ensuring safe care for patients. Many of our reports show that bias and discrimination towards staff can have a direct impact on safety, leading to poor outcomes for both patients and healthcare workers.
“The report from the GMC emphasises the importance of recognising inequality in medical education and training. Through our investigations, we have seen how gaps and inconsistencies in education and training can affect the knowledge, confidence and capability of healthcare staff, with potential consequences for patient safety. But it is also important to recognise that medical professionals may undertake the same education and training but experience it differently. Addressing inequalities is not only about ensuring that high-quality education and training are available, but that medical professionals have equitable opportunities to access, benefit from and progress through, regardless of their background.
“The progress the GMC has made is highly encouraging, but as it has reiterated, there is more to do, and this requires collaborative effort. If inequalities and the systemic factors that underpin those inequalities are identified and translated into robust learning and meaningful recommendations, we then we are better equipped to deliver change across healthcare in relation to equality, diversity and inclusion. We support the GMC’s call for continued, collective action to tackle unfairness and create fairer, safer environments for both the healthcare workforce and the patients they care for.”
