One in five black, Asian and minority ethnic NHS managers in England plan to quit amid racism

A September 2026 report by the NHS Alliance reveals that one in five black, Asian, and minority ethnic (BAME) NHS managers in England plan to quit within three years due to widespread racism, exclusion, and career barriers. Despite BAME board representation rising from 7.1% in 2016 to 17.3% in 2025, leaders like Victor Adebowale label the NHS "institutionally racist." NHS England has responded by introducing new staff standards to enforce board-level accountability and tackle discrimination.

BAME NHS manager exodus

• ▪A survey of 950 black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) NHS managers in England by the NHS Alliance found that one in five plan to quit the NHS in the next three years due to racism, exclusion, and discrimination.
• ▪The NHS Alliance warned that its September 2026 survey findings indicate a risk of a "haemorrhaging" of managers and senior leaders from BAME backgrounds.

Workplace racism experiences

• ▪Almost four-fifths of BAME NHS managers surveyed in a September 2026 NHS Alliance report have experienced racism, exclusion, and obstacles to progressing in their careers.
• ▪The NHS Race and Health Observatory reported in September 2026 a growing number of inquiries from BAME NHS staff who have experienced racism in their workplaces.

Career progression barriers

• ▪BAME NHS managers surveyed by the NHS Alliance in September 2026 described being excluded from informal networks and experiencing "progression disparities" compared with white colleagues.
• ▪BAME NHS managers surveyed by the NHS Alliance in September 2026 reported a culture of nepotism and a lack of diversity in senior leadership teams.

NHS leadership diversity statistics

• ▪The proportion of BAME members on NHS boards in England rose from 7.1% in 2016 to 17.3% in 2025.
• ▪Sir Ciarán Devane, chief executive of the NHS Alliance, stated in September 2026 that political and cultural polarization makes the diversity of NHS leadership more important than ever.

Institutional racism in NHS

• ▪Victor Adebowale, chair of the NHS Alliance, stated in September 2026 that the NHS is institutionally racist and urged leaders to address race and racism as part of business as usual.
• ▪Prof Habib Naqvi, chief executive of the NHS Race and Health Observatory, stated in September 2026 that racism has become too normalized in parts of the NHS system.

Anti-racism initiatives

• ▪A September 2026 NHS Alliance report found that a series of initiatives undertaken by the NHS to tackle discrimination have produced little meaningful change due to enduring institutional and structural racism.
• ▪An NHS England spokesperson stated in September 2026 that new NHS staff standards require trusts to take sustained action to tackle racism, with board-level accountability.

Debatable claims

• ▪The NHS is institutionally racist
• ▪NHS anti-discrimination initiatives have failed to produce meaningful change