John Batchelor on race equality

Race equality in the NHS as an employer was championed by previous NHS chief executive Sir Nigel Crisp and David Nicholson also showed in his first national newspaper interview in the role that diversity is high on his priority list.

Race equality in the NHS as an employer was championed by previous NHS chief executive Sir Nigel Crisp and David Nicholson also showed in his first national newspaper interview in the role that diversity is high on his priority list.

One of the ways in which the NHS is investing in diversity is Breaking Through, the leadership development programme for people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds.

It was initially designed for NHS staff in middle or senior management positions with aspirations to move into a senior leadership role. It is the first and only national programme in the NHS specifically targeted at BME staff.

Since it was launched four years ago, the programme has enrolled over 600 participants across its national and local development programmes. Earlier this year it was recognised for its achievements with a gold award for its innovative work across human resources in the public sector at the Management Consultant Awards.

For many NHS organisations, the programme continues to be the first point of contact in terms of thinking through strategies for supporting BME staff locally.

The work of the programme is important. There is a growing recognition in both the public and private sector of the considerable value a diverse employee base brings to organisations and one which mirrors the diverse community it serves.

At chief executive and board level, people from BME backgrounds remain significantly under-represented. While the situation at middle management is improving, the fact remains that despite being well qualified and experienced, BME staff still face discrimination in employment and do not reap the rewards in the workplace that their qualifications merit.

John Batchelor is head of the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement's Breaking Through programme.