Inequalities in NHS staff support among those from ethnic minority and migrant groups during the COVID-19 pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, National Health Service staff support services were implemented to promote healthcare workers' (HCWs) well-being, alongside informal support from colleagues and managers. Certain groups may be less likely to access support, including HCWs from ethnic minority and migrant groups. These HCWs are more likely to experience discrimination and abuse at work, which may also erode access to positive and protective resources. Therefore, this study examined variation in formal support programme use and perceptions of support from managers and colleagues by ethnicity and migration status.

This study analysed survey data from 9769 HCWs in England who completed the baseline survey (launched April 2020) and the 6-month follow-up using descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression.

At 6 months, 51% of participants met the threshold for probable common mental disorder. HCWs from White Other (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) 0.79; 95% CI 0.64 to 0.99) and Asian ethnic groups (AOR 0.65; 95% CI 0.57 to 0.74) were less likely to feel supported by their colleagues than White British HCWs. Similarly, those born outside of the UK and European Union were less likely to feel supported by their colleagues than UK-born HCWs (AOR 0.70; 95% CI 0.52 to 0.94). No variations in support programme use or manager support were found across ethnicity or migration status.

The study suggests equitable formal support but identified critical disparities in perceived support from colleagues for HCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Improving workplace well-being should address the underlying social and structural factors that influence peer support and belonging.