Breaking barriers for colleagues with disabilities
According to the NHS staff survey, one in five of us working in the Barts Health group of hospitals has a disability or long-term health condition.
Thanks largely to the efforts of the BartsAbility staff network, the organisation has made considerable progress towards inclusion and equity on their behalf.
So in the same survey, two-thirds of our disabled colleagues said adequate adjustments were made at local level to enable them to carry out their work.
However, the annual NHS Workforce Disability Equality Standards (WDES) report shows there is still much to be done.
Relatively more disabled colleagues here are likely to experience bullying and abuse, for example, even (and perhaps especially) from managers and colleagues.
Like many WDES indicators, the incidence of such harassment is less likely than it was, with the proportion reporting this falling steadily over recent years.
Yet the disparity is still evident in the statistics to challenge us all. One third of disabled colleagues say they are abused by patients or the public, for example, compared to just over a quarter of non-disabled staff.
Two out of ten say they are bullied by managers, twice the non-disabled rate. Three out of ten say they experience harassment from colleagues (compared to two).
Only one-third of disabled staff think the organisation values their work, compared to almost a half among non-disabled colleagues. And four in ten think the trust provides equal career opportunities (again compared to half).
And although one-third say they have been pressured to come into work despite not feeling well enough – compared to one-fifth non-disabled – this is an improvement, due largely to BartsAbility input into our updated sickness absence policy.
Adeshola Akanji, chair of BartsAbility, said:
We are changing the culture of the organisation so people feel safe identifying as disabled, and are confident talking about what it is like to work here with a disability.
There is clear evidence that where we collectively prioritise improvements in particular areas, we can make rapid progress. Everyone has a role to play in ensuring that WeBelong and become a truly inclusive organisation for all.
The WDES report notes that shortlisting for jobs is fairer than it used to be, with no significant difference between the two categories over the last four years. However less than 5% of staff declare a disability on the electronic staff record (ESR) - compared to 19% through the staff survey.
Using ESR data we acknowledge a disability pay gap for the first time, with a disabled person earning 95p for every £1 received by a non-disabled colleague.
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