White NHS nurses twice as likely as black and Asian colleagues to be promoted – study

Pedestrians pass images of NHS workers outside a temporary hospital in London during the pandemic. The Royal College of Nursing said structural racism is having a ‘devastating’ impact on minority ethnic staff. Photograph: Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty Images

White nurses are twice as likely as black and Asian colleagues to be promoted in the NHS, with minority ethnic staff overlooked due to structural racism, according to research.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said its study suggests racism is “endemic” in health and care. A survey of almost 10,000 nursing staff found that those who are white or of a mixed ethnic background are more likely than black and Asian colleagues to have received at least one promotion since the start of their career.