Summary
Primary care leaders back Greater Manchester anti-racism campaign.
Leaders at Greater Manchester Primary Care Provider Board (PCB) are backing a new campaign aimed at supporting health and care workers who experience racism.
Dr Tracey Vell MBE, Chief Officer of Greater Manchester Primary Care Provider Board (PCB), and Luvjit Kandula, Chair of the PCB and the Community Pharmacy Provider Board (CPPB), have joined other system representatives to endorse the Greater Manchester Integrated Partnership’s anti-racism campaign.
The ‘No Space for Racism. In Health and Care. Anywhere.’ campaign aims to support the health and care workforce and let you know you are not alone.
It also aims to encourage other health and care staff and members of the public who witness abuse to make a stand against racism and discriminatory behaviour in any form.
The message to our workforce is clear. If you experience or witness racism at work, there will always be an open door for you to report it.
Concerns can be reported safely, in a way that feels right for you, including:
- through your line manager
- via another manager
- your trade union representative
- a Freedom to Speak Up Guardian
- via bullying and harassment, complaints, or incident reporting procedures
Dr Tracey Vell MBE said: “Looking after our workforce and creating an environment that feels safe for everyone is so important.
“This campaign will help us strengthen reporting options and the support we offer our staff.”
Luvjit Kandula, who is also the Director of Strategy and Pharmacy Transformation at Community Pharmacy Greater Manchester, added: “Meaningful change can happen when people come together.
“We are taking a united front to make sure all our staff and patients feel safe, respected and valued.”
Health and care staff across the UK are facing increasing levels of racial abuse and harassment.
Colleagues are reporting that, while trying to do their job and care for those in need, they are being subjected to racist language, insults, offensive comments, exclusion and threatening or intimidating behaviour from the patients and their friends and families and sometimes by colleagues.
This is happening in clinical settings, within pharmacies, at GP, optometry and dental practices, while staff are travelling to and from work and when visiting patients at their homes. It is not acceptable and should not be seen as part of the job.
This is a national issue, but Greater Manchester is taking action.
There are a number of support offers available on the campaign website to help our workforce get the help and support needed, including a health and wellbeing toolkit.
