One of the early insights from my doctoral research is that data, when read with care, tells powerful stories. But it’s the questions we ask of that data that reveal the deeper truths.
Take the NHS Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES). It tracks critical metrics like senior-level representation, promotion likelihood, and experiences of bullying and harassment. In March 2023, the data showed that while 26.4% of NHS staff came from BME backgrounds, only 10.8% of executive board members did.
We often celebrate these small shifts—“It’s up from 8.9% in 2021!”—but such increases mask a harsher reality: a growing gap between entry-level representation and executive leadership. And when you look more closely—disaggregating by both race and gender—the numbers drop even further. That’s where the story truly begins.
Where Representation Falls Apart
In London, where more than 50% of the NHS workforce is BME, only 18.8% of executive board members reflect that diversity. In the South West, it’s 6.3%. And when you factor in gender—focusing specifically on minority ethnic women—those numbers often halve again.
What does this tell us?
- Progress isn’t evenly distributed. Some regions are moving, others are not.
- Leadership becomes less diverse at the top. The higher you go, the whiter the boardroom.
- Data alone isn’t enough. We need interpretation, transparency, and above all—action.
We can’t change what we don’t fully understand.
Let’s move beyond the numbers to the stories—and the systems—behind them.
Join me in asking the harder questions. Because only then can we create a leadership culture that truly includes everyone.
