Equality and diversity: Improving the working lives of doctors
Research undertaken for BMA Northern Ireland
April 2006
This report is based primarily on the research undertaken and ‘draft’ report produced by Denise Bamford of University of Ulster for BMA Northern Ireland.
Copies of this report can be obtained from the Health Policy and Economic Research Unit, British Medical Association, Tavistock Square, London, WC1H 9JP or from BMA Northern Ireland, 16 Cromac Place, Cromac Wood, Ormeau Road, Belfast, BT7 2JB.
Summary
- As part of its overall strategy for the promotion of equality of opportunity and valuing diversity within the medical profession and, because of its commitment to challenge discrimination experienced by its members during their training and in the workplace, BMA Northern Ireland decided to undertake research into a number of equality and diversity issues of importance to its members.
- It was agreed with the Chair BMA(NI) Council that the focus of the research should be on employed doctors, within Trusts or Health and Social Services Boards. One of the aims of the research was to identify any areas of improvement to bring these to the attention of employers.
- A postal questionnaire (see Appendix A) was sent during summer 2005 to all employed BMA members working in the hospital grades in Northern Ireland. The questionnaire addressed issues of equality training, access to work life balance policies, perceived less favourable treatment, training in relation to Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 and the role of BMA(NI) in promoting equality and diversity.
- As guidance on monitoring for sexual orientation has not been finalised by the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland it was decided to defer seeking information on the sexual orientation of doctors included in the survey.
- Most respondents to the questionnaire were white and without disability. Respondents were almost equally divided by gender, were aged between 23 and 64 years and around half were from a Protestant background. Respondents were broadly representative of BMA(NI) members according to grade. Most respondents had obtained their primary qualifications in the United Kingdom.
- Of those respondents who had attended equality awareness training in the past two years, a fifth had recalled attending general equality awareness training, however only one in 10 respondents stated that they had attended any training which included awareness raising on sexual orientation issues. Overall, around a third of respondents stated that they had ever attended general equality training or disability discrimination training, and around a quarter of respondents reported that they had attended training relating to sex discrimination, race discrimination, or religious and political discrimination. Many respondents had not attended such training, because they perceived that it had not been provided by their employer.
- Respondents were asked if they knew who to contact within their place of employment for advice and assistance on equality matters. Although more than a third indicated that they did know who to contact, nearly two thirds indicated that they did not know who to contact.
- In relation to work life balance provisions, most respondents appeared to be aware of arrangements for study leave, part-time working and flexible working available to them. Very few respondents reported they had access to childcare vouchers/subsidy or term-time working. The lack of access to such policies was largely attributed to a perceived lack of funding or the nature of their employment arrangements.
- A quarter of respondents felt that they had experienced less favourable treatment, however this perception varied according to grade of doctor. More than a third of Staff and Associate Specialist (SAS) doctors believed that they had been treated less favourably than other colleagues, compared with a quarter of consultants and 16 per cent of junior doctor respondents. This perception also varied according to age and ethnicity.
- Only a third of respondents, who believed they have received less favourable treatment, had also complained to their employer regarding such perceived treatment. The most frequently cited reasons for not complaining to the employer were lack of confidence in how the matter would be dealt with or fears that the situation would worsen.
- Most respondents reported poor treatment by patients during their employment and this was most likely to take the form of verbal abuse. Verbal abuse from a patient’s relative/friend was also reported by around half of the respondents. Whilst a third of respondents reported being the subject of verbal abuse from a colleague, a fifth reported being ignored or excluded by a colleague.
- Section 75 places a duty on designated public authorities to proactively promote equality of opportunity among nine categories of individuals and as a legal requirement, to provide training and guidance to their staff regarding their responsibilities under this duty as public authority employees. Only a quarter of respondents stated that they had attended such training.
- Most respondents considered that BMA(NI) was doing enough to promote equality of opportunity and diversity for its members. Similarly, the majority of respondents felt that they did have equality of opportunity in relation to becoming a member of one of its committees.
Key recommendations from the research
- BMA(NI) should consider innovative ways to encourage doctors from under-represented groups to participate in committees, for example, holding meetings outside Belfast
- BMA(NI) in partnership with the BMA Equal Opportunities Committee should review the means by which Northern Ireland members are made aware of BMA equality resources available to them.
- Local Negotiating Committee (LNC) members should assess local opinion on life balance policies available to doctors and ensure that BMA includes such considerations when negotiating new contracts of employment.
- Levels of general equality and specific equality awareness training provision must be improved by all employers to ensure the widest possible coverage of employees.
- Employers should review/improve work life balance practices and raise awareness of these within all grades.
- All employers, with immediate effect, should advise all employees of the name and contact details of the individual(s) responsible for providing advice and assistance on equality matters within their organisation.
- The Department of Health Social Services and Public Safety Northern Ireland (DHSSPSNI) should develop standardised in-house employer equality surveys and encourage employer use, to benchmark levels and frequency of equality training and perceived discrimination and where necessary act upon such findings to create a more equitable working environment.
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