Alarmed NHS bosses are forcing interview panels to explain why they hired a white person and not someone from an ethnic minority background, the Daily Mail can reveal.
A policy at North London’s Royal Free requires staff to provide reports justifying why the successful candidate was deemed ‘more suitable’.
They should write to the Trust Director and show how they evaluated the non-white applicant and suggest how the candidate could improve next time.
Frustrated staff say the system is a “tick box” that adds another layer of bureaucracy to an already creaking NHS.
A policy at the Royal Free in North London requires staff to provide reports justifying why the successful candidate was deemed ‘more suitable’.
Ministers recently pledged to tackle “waste and vigilance” costing the NHS billions of pounds, and trusts were urged to shed “diversity and inclusion” work to focus on basic services.
On Saturday, the Mail revealed how the NHS is offering more than £1m in “waking non-jobs” in hospitals and trusts, at a time when it needs more money to pay for patient care.
According to documents obtained by this newspaper, the latest shortlisting policy applies to interviews that include both white and non-white applicants.
Ministers recently vowed to tackle “waste and vigilance” costing the NHS billions of pounds
It has applied to senior staff at the Royal Free NHS Foundation Trust since July 2018, but has been extended to all functions within the Trust in recent months. If a white candidate is selected, the panel chair must write a report explaining why he was “better suited” for the role. The reverse is not true.
They must also ‘justify’ why an ethnic minority candidate was not selected and provide detailed ‘assessment notes’ as evidence. They should also make suggestions on how the unsuccessful applicants can further develop their experience, skills or size to have better chances next time.
The report must then be sent to the Trust’s Chief Executive, Caroline Clarke, within 10 working days. If they don’t, they will be named and shamed in the trust’s monthly Workforce Race Equality progress report.
It has been applicable to senior staff at the Royal Free NHS Foundation Trust since July 2018, but has been extended to all functions within the Trust in recent months
A senior source at the hospital said: “It feels like a ticking exercise. When we discuss who was the best applicant after the interview, it’s not about ethnicity.
“So it takes a lot of time to justify your decision with where they might have come from, because you have to reevaluate your decision from a completely different perspective, based on race and not ability.”
The source said in the interest of fairness, the policy should be enforced for all failed candidates, not just those of ethnic origin. The “additional bureaucracy” slowed down the already long hiring process.
A spokesperson for Royal Free London said: “We aim to have a diverse workforce and try to ensure that all candidates, regardless of ethnicity, have an equal opportunity to work at Royal Free London.”
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
