Wes Streeting calls ‘Anti-Whiteness’ in NHS Diversity Schemes

Wes Streeting has defended diversity programs within the NHS – but said “anti -whiteness” would not be tolerated.

The health secretary also hit what he called “ideological hobby horses”, which he said had no place in health care.

When he spoke at an event to mark World Cancer Day, he said a member of NHS staff had tweeted that “part of her practice was anti-whiteness”.

“And I was just thinking,” What the hell does it say to the block in Wigan, which is more likely to die earlier than his more wealthy white colleagues down in London? “He said.

“We have real problems with inequality affecting white working class people.”

He defended diversity and inclusion programs and emphasized their importance at the time when black women are three times more likely to die in birth than white women.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting:

Health Secretary Wes Streeting: “We have real problems with inequality affecting white working class people.” (Pa wire?

But he added: “Sometimes there are some really DFT things that are done in the name of equality, diversity and inclusion that undermines the cause.”

Talking to The independent, The leader of a leading cancer organization warned cancer care in England disadvantages at the moment those with minority’s background and those with disabilities.

MacMillan -Managing Director Gemma Peters said there was a “huge variation” in what cancer care looked like all over the country.

“From when you are diagnosed, what treatments you are offered, how to support when we get it right, we do really brilliant in this country, but there are so many people who just fall through the holes,” she said.

“The people who are doing well are people with sharp elbows, and they are people who have a lot of resources available to them, so they are well -supported, well -educated, able to speak the language, similar to the people who treat them. “

It comes when the health secretary called on cancer experts, medical professionals and cancer survivors to share their experiences to help shape the government’s national cancer plan, which will be released later this year.

MacMillan -O -Manager Director Gemma Peters said there was one

MacMillan -Managing Director Gemma Peters said there was a “huge variation” in how cancer care looked out over the whole country (MacMillan?

Wes Streeting, who spoke at a MacMillan event to mark World Cancer Day on Tuesday, agreed that people with different backgrounds needed better support in the cancer care system -but said “anti -whiteness” would not be tolerated.

“You look at these results, prostate cancer, black men twice as well as inspired birth and in prostate cancer than white men, black women three times more lifestyle, birth than white women. We have some real racial inequalities here, ”he said, adding that he needed health subjects to help.

Following US President Donald Trump’s recent criticism of diversity and inclusion policies added health secretary Spotlight and discussion. “

Health Secretary Wes Streeting has called for changes in how diversity and equality are approaching in NHS

Health Secretary Wes Streeting has called for changes in how diversity and equality are approaching in NHS (Pa wire?

While cancer survival has doubled in the last 50 years according to Cancer Research UK, the UK is also behind other developed countries.

Care results also vary depending on people’s background. Cancer Research UK found in 2023 that black African, black Caribbean and South Asian women were up to twice as likely to be diagnosed with late phase breast cancer.

The research also found that women with ethnic minority backgrounds were less likely to know the warning signs and symptoms of cancer compared to white women.

People living in poor areas of England also had a significantly higher risk of dying of cancer than their colleagues in richer areas, according to a separate 2023 research.

Mrs. Peters told The independent Often people can fight problems outside their medical treatment, including transport costs to and from appointments, adequate childcare during treatment and the cost of not being able to work.

Mr. Streeting said there were

Mr. Streeting said there were “real questions about inequality” in cancer treatment (Getty Images?

“Sometimes it is about the community they come from, what language they speak, and what kind of social demographic they come from, what sexuality they are, all these things affect their treatment and care,” she said.

“So why don’t we start understanding these groups and what works for them best, and then [the system] will work better for everyone. “

In his speech, the health secretary added that there was a lot of work to be done to improve cancer care results and the NHS more broadly.

“People can’t get a medical appointment,” he said. “People wait too long for optional treatment, we haven’t got the basic relationship with it.

“The retail politician in me would say what we need is the greatest revolution in the NHS history and a huge shift from central to local, a major shift from hospital to community, from illness to prevention, from analog to digital.”

Mr. Streeting said he was convinced that Labor could solve it as the last working government was able to deliver its obligations to improve healthcare in the UK.

Mrs. Peters said she was optimistic that the government could improve the way everyone is diagnosed and treated for UK cancer. She emphasized that getting it really starting to listen to the experiences of anyone who is not included or has not taken care of standard care in the last few decades.

“I’m optimistic, but I’m not naive about how difficult it gets,” she said.

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