Racial discrimination in the allocation of distinction awards? Analysis of list of award holders by type of award, specialty and region

Abstract

for the diligent way they did the case note abstraction; to Julian Smith for constructing and managing the database and for programming the portable computers used to collect this information; and to Susan Fritz for collecting information on policy with regard to vitamin K prophylaxis across the region and for locating the whereabouts of many of the obstetric and neonatal case notes. We are grateful to the staff of all the hospital medical records departments for facilitating access to records and to clinical colleagues, active and retired, for information on vitamin K policy.

Discrimination in the discretionary points award scheme: comparison of white with non-white consultants and men with women

“…Non-white consultants may also be concentrated in specialties which are less likely to receive awards. 2 3 The reason for differences in the number of points awarded to men and women is unclear, but differences could be due to discrimination 4…”

Performance Pay Remuneration for Consultants in the NHS: is the Current System Fair and Fit for Purpose?

“…The first report was published in 1994 but it was not until 1996 that details of individual consultants-including a breakdown by specialty, ethnicity and gender-was published. 25 Following research by Esmail and colleagues which highlighted the disparities in distinction awards being awarded to white and non-white consultants, 26 the 1998 ACDA annual report stated that discussions had been held with the Commission for Racial Equality and that 'the Commission felt that one of the explanations for the relatively low proportion of awards held by consultants from ethnic minority groups might be some ''indirectly discriminatory effects arising from the application of the current criteria''.' 27 During 1998 the government announced that the NHS was to be included within the Race Relations Act 28 and, in a 2001 consultation paper on a proposed new consultant reward scheme, re-stated its concerns regarding inequalities within the allocation of distinction awards and acknowledged that women consultants and consultants from ethnic minorities had 'received a disproportionately small number of awards'.…”

Ethnic and sex bias in discretionary awards

“…Over the past decade, disparities by ethnicity have been highlighted, mainly by Esmail, who as a general practitioner does not qualify for one of these awards, and his coauthors. They have highlighted disparities by ethnicity in admissions to medical school,5 then distinction awards,6 and now discretionary points 7…”