New analysis from the Royal College of Psychiatrists of NHS data has found that thousands of ethnic minority staff working in mental health trusts are subjected to harassment, bullying, or abuse at work from members of the public, colleagues, or their managers.

The study found that in 2020 a third of 16,165 ethnic minority respondents experienced harassment, bullying or abuse at work from patients/service users, their relatives or other members of the public, whilst a fifth of 15,985 ethnic minority respondents experienced harassment, bullying or abuse at work from other colleagues.

The Royal College of Psychiatrists also states that more than one in eight ethnic minority respondents experienced harassment, bullying or abuse at work from managers.

A concerning 86 per cent of staff from ethnic minorities in mental health trusts who experienced discrimination said it was based on their ethnic background.

The analysis also found that ethnic minorities face obstacles to their career progression, with three in ten saying their organisation doesn’t act fairly when it comes to career progression. However, 93 per cent said they feel that their role makes a difference to patients and 78 per cent said they can deliver care they aspire to.

The Royal College of Psychiatrists is calling on NHS leaders to take a stand against discrimination by setting up better processes in local trusts to record and understand data about bullying and harassment, as well as the lack of confidence to report such incidents across all the different protected characteristics. They also say that local health leaders need to do more by implementing strategies to improve career progression for ethnic minority staff and ensure greater diversity in leadership positions, with regular reviews of the effectiveness of these strategies.

Dr Adrian James, president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said: “This analysis is deeply concerning and shows the NHS has a long way to go in improving conditions and opportunities for career progression are available to everyone, not just white people.

“It’s bad for the NHS and bad for our patients if motivated and talented people are held back because of their background. NHS leaders and local health bosses must tackle this head on while also improving conditions for ethnic minority people working in mental health.”