§ Dr. FoxTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures are in place to ensure equal access to the delivery of services within the NHS for ethnic minority groups. [127385]
§ Mr. HuttonThe Department is committed to transforming the national health service so that it produces faster, fairer services with equity of access for all. The creation of more equal access for black and minority ethnic people is an integral and vital aspect of the Department's programme of investment and reform.
226WThe Department is taking action at a number of levels to ensure equal access to NHS services.
A primary care trust (PCT) transformational change programme has been jointly sponsored by the Department, the national primary and care trust development programme and Manchester Central PCT aimed at promoting excellence on race equality among PCTs including improving access to services for minority ethnic people.
A core group of strategic health authority (SHA) chief executives have convened to undertake work to provide practical steps to help SHAs deliver the race equality agenda and improve access for minority ethnic communities.
The Department is committed to the collection of ethnic origin information using the 2001 Census categories as part of the process of monitoring access to services within the NHS.
§ Chris GraylingTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will provide a breakdown by ethnic minority working w thin the NHS. [127719]
§ Mr. HuttonThe following table shows the percentage of medical, dental and non-medical staff by ethnic category working in the national health service as at September 2002.
Hospital, public health medicine and community health services (HCHS): Medical, dental and non-medical1 staff by ethnic category England, as at 30 September 2002 Numbers (percentages)
All staff 100.0 All ethnic groups 73.1 2001 White 58.8 Population Black or Black British 2.3 Census Asian or Asian British 3.1 Ethnic Chinese 0.3 Group Mixed 0.6 Categories Any other ethnic group 1.0 Not Stated 7.0 All Ethnic Groups 26.9 Earlier White 23.7 Ethnic Black 0.7 Group Asian 1.4 Categories Any other ethnic group 0.5 Not Sated 0.6 Notes:
1. The ethnic breakdown of non medical staff is estimated from the 66 per cent. of HCHS organisation that reported 90 per cent. or more valid ethnic cods on the September 2002 census.
2. From 1 April 2001, newly appointed staff have been asked to classify themselves using the ethnic categories listed in the 2001 population census. Existing staff will be reclassified over time but data returns currently include a mixture of 2001 categories and older information based on 1991 population census categories.
Source:
Department of Health medical and dental workforce census.
Department of Health non-medical workforce census.