Our hospitals lead the way in action to tackle health inequalities
The pioneering work of Barts Health clinicians through our WeBelong approach to inclusion and equity is now recognised and recommended by the government.
Separate projects to improve maternity outcomes and prevent heart disease, both among ethnic minority patients, are highlighted as case studies in race equality.
They feature in the first annual report of the Race Equality Engagement Group, set up last year to establish a dialogue between government and diverse communities.
This follows a two-part roundtable conversation we hosted at St Bartholomew’s hospital for REEG members and guests, including health ministers and officials.
In one, midwives and obstetricians showed how they use our electronic maternity dashboard to generate insights into outcomes by ethnicity and deprivation and drive targeted outcomes. The session also highlighted our use of digital tools to improve access for vulnerable patients, including translation facilities.
This discussion with our experts fed into the REEG’s contribution to the recent national inquiries on maternity services by Donna Ockenden and Baroness Amos.
In the second session, Dr Mohammed Khanji and Dr Riyaz Patel described how the ELoPe heart disease prevention project started close to home with our own staff.
They said: "One in four NHS staff has high blood pressure and around half don’t even know it. An estimated 3,000 of our colleagues are affected, with the heaviest burden falling on those in the lowest pay bands and on Black and South Asian staff.
"For the last five years, we have been offering onside heart health checks, and providing free blood-pressure monitors and clinical support - open to everyone but targeted at those most at risk and those most underserved, including our porters and cleaners."
The remit of the REEG also covers business, education and policing but we were the sole contributors on health during its inaugural year. Baroness Doreen Lawrence, chair of the group, said practical action to tackle inequalities of the sort we showcased was urgent.
"Bad actors spreading hatred, racism and division are emboldened in society and amplified by social media. People from ethnic minority backgrounds are feeling unsafe, hate crime statistics make for grim reading, and hard-won victories for equality are at risk of being rolled back," she said.
Barts Health staff can join us for Join the Conversation Live on Tuesday 21 July, where we'll be discussing maternity services across Barts Health and the improvements we're making to enhance care for women, babies and families.
Caption: Equalities minister Seema Malhotra MP (centre) at the Barts Health roundtable with (from L-R) Baroness Lawrence, Dr Sujatha Thamban, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, and divisional director for Women and Children at Whipps Cross Hospital, Shereen Nimmo, group director of midwifery, Ait Abraham, group director of inclusion and equity, and consultant cardiologists and ELoPe leads Dr Riyaz Patel and Dr Mohammed Khanji.
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