A new analysis of NHS medics’ careers on England has found that black surgeons are far less likely to be promoted than their white colleagues.

The research, which involved more than 3,000 doctors, shows that black men who were junior surgeons in 2012 were 27 per cent less likely to be promoted to consultant than white men between 2016 and 2020, while black women were 42 per cent less likely.

Senior black doctors said the research matched their experiences and warned of a lack of support for minority doctors to pass the tests required to reach the best-paid ranks.

Academics at the University of Surrey, who undertook the research into NHS records, also revealed that the proportion of consultants who were men actually increased over the decade from 57 per cent to 63 per cent.

Carol Woodhams, from the University of Surrey Business school, said: “The most striking finding is that even when Indian women, white women and black men conform to white male patterns of working, the progression gap is wide and, in some cases, very wide. This is objective evidence that disadvantage against diverse groups in surgery is deep-rooted and a new progressive milieu in the NHS and the broader society has not yet translated into concrete and progressive outcomes.”

Tim Mitchell, vice-president of the Royal College of Surgeons, said: “The findings of this research are deeply concerning – women and ethnic minorities must be fully represented throughout the ranks of the surgical profession. We recognise that more needs to be done to ensure that all can reach the top of the profession, regardless of their background, gender or race.”