NHS national director of transformation Dr Tim Ferris has been appointed executive sponsor of the Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) Network.

The BAME Network is a membership organisation which aims to help maintain a safe and positive working environment for BAME staff in the NHS, eliminate racial discrimination and help develop and maintain a representative workforce with inclusive leadership.

In an internal email seen by Healthcare IT News, Ferris said the transformation directorate aimed to recover and transform services in light of COVID-19 through national priority programmes, including improving population health and reducing inequalities.

Last month it was announced that tech bodies NHSX and NHS Digital (NHSD) would merge into the transformation directorate alongside the Improvement Directorate and Innovation, Research and Life Sciences. Ferris adopted the newly appointed role of director of transformation in May.

WHY IT MATTERS

COVID-19 exposed health disparities across the country, with higher death rates among people from ethnic minorities, particularly from South Asian and Afro-Caribbean backgrounds.

There has been debate about the cause of this disparity, with concerns raised about potential systematic racial bias in the NHS, such as the issue of race blind data.

THE LARGER CONTEXT

NHS England responded to backlash and accusations of potential bias by committing to publish ethnicity data on who received the COVID-19 vaccine.

Last month, the UK government launched a review into the impact of potential bias in the design and use of medical devices, which will consider bias in algorithmic based data / artificial intelligence (AI) tools.

ON THE RECORD

Ferris said: “We must be diverse and representative if we are to succeed, and I am personally committed to this cause. I am honoured to have been named the executive sponsor of the BAME Network for the NHS. As well as addressing our direct responsibilities as a leadership team, we will keep the momentum that has already been developed in tackling these issues through programmes such as diversity and inclusion training, and safe spaces for colleagues to discuss issues affecting them.”

Jabeer Butt OBE, CEO of the Race Equality Foundation said: "Senior sponsorship and buy-in is crucial to ensure any issues raised by internal networks are thoroughly dealt with and that the organisation's leadership sets a strong example. We hope that Dr Tim Ferris' involvement, particularly given his experience in championing the use of prevention and data to reduce inequalities, will help propel positive change for race equality within the NHS."

Chief medical strategy officer at Numan and fourth most influential BAME tech leader 2019, Professor Sam Shah said: “The reaffirmation of the diversity agenda and the focus on BAME is helpful only if this time it’s more than lip service.

The former NHSX director of digital concluded: "Many will remember that NHSX and NHSD have both also made similar statements in the past, yet many inside these organisations are yet to see tangible change at the top or transparent recruitment.”