Investigation launched into number of BAME deaths

AN URGENT investigation has been launched into why a disproportionate number of NHS staff from from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds are being affected by coronavirus.

Health Minister Vaughan Gething said a recent report found more than a third of people critically ill with coronavirus in Welsh, English and Northern Irish hospitals were from BAME backgrounds, compared with 18% of the UK population.

He said an urgent investigation was needed to look at why people from BAME backgrounds appear to be more at risk.

The first three casualties on the NHS frontline in Wales were of black or ethnic minority backgrounds, while across the UK the first 10 doctors to die were all from minority backgrounds.

Mr Gething said: “A team from Welsh Government will be working with Public Health Wales to gather evidence and data to establish whether there are any identifiable risks or avoidable factors and we will involve local community stakeholders in this work.

“This will help to inform decisions about whether we need to give more tailored advice to people from BAME backgrounds to help protect them, their families and their communities.”

Keshav Singhal MBE and Hasmukh Shah from the British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (Bapio) wrote to the chief executives of all Welsh health boards last week to call for the matter to be urgently addressed.

They highlighted data from the Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre (ICNARC) which suggests 34% of critically ill coronavirus patients are from BAME backgrounds.

“The available figures suggest that being male, BAME and older adult along with at least one co-morbid condition puts them at greater risk of mortality,” they stated.

“It is a fact that BAME populations have a higher incidence of known risk factors including visceral obesity, diabetes and metabolic syndrome, hypertension and ischaemic heart disease, chronic lung disease and vitamin D deficiency.

“While research is going on and will take time to complete, it is vital that all of us take cognisance of these disturbing trends and take urgent steps to mitigate against any further and unnecessary tragedies.”

The organisation has called for an equality impact assessment to be carried out to determine whether particular groups of staff and communities might be especially at risk.