Medical Workforce Race Equality Standard (MWRES) Five Years On

The Medical Workforce Race Equality Standard (MWRES) Five Years On report has recently been published and shines a light on both progress and persistent barriers facing doctors from minoritised ethnic groups in the NHS.

When MWRES was first introduced in 2020, it was groundbreaking and documented differences in experience between White staff and those from minoritised backgrounds. 11 indicators were used to track inequalities across the medical career pathway with the intention that they would be reported on annually.

However, there were no further updates, and this independent report is an attempt to fill the gap, drawing upon open-source information available from NHS England, the GMC, the Medical Schools Council and Colleges.

There are some positives. Representation in Royal Colleges has increased, and the disproportionate referral of minoritised doctors to the GMC has fallen.

But serious challenges persist. Ethnic minority doctors remain underrepresented in senior academic and leadership positions, and differential attainment in both undergraduate and postgraduate education remains prevalent.

Many doctors still report discrimination, harassment, and limited access to career progression. For international and locally employed doctors in particular, induction and support are often inconsistent and inadequate.