The NHS Confederation and the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) are to launch a new national forum to drive the development of black and minority ethnic (BME) leadership and to provide a stronger voice for BME leaders and managers in the NHS. 7.9% of the UK's population are black or from an ethnic minority, and 8.4% of the NHS's 1.3m staff. However, only 1% of the organisation's chief executive posts are held by BME staff.

The forum, launched on 3 November 2003, will speak out on diversity issues in the NHS, provide greater influence for members on policy issues, inform the shape of development programmes, and offer a one-stop-shop of useful training initiatives and publications. It will have 75 members drawn from senior executives, board members, managers and nurses as well as informing a wider network of interested staff who will be able to feed into the policy process.

Gill Morgan, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said: "We are proud to be launching this initiative on an issue for the NHS that doesn't always receive the attention it deserves. We hope that this project will enable BME leaders to maximise their potential with real influence over health policy and practice. This is essential if we are to create an NHS that reflects and responds to the diverse communities it serves. "

Beverly Malone, general secretary of the RCN said: "The RCN is committed to diversity for the benefit of patients and nurses. Support and encouragement from people in senior positions can be pivotal for black and minority ethnic nurses to progress their careers. I'm delighted that 25 RCN members have the opportunity to be involved in this exciting initiative."

ABOUT THE NHS CONFEDERATION

The NHS Confederation represents the organisations that make up the NHS. Our members include the majority of NHS trusts, primary care trusts and health authorities in England; trusts and local health boards in Wales; trusts and NHS boards in Scotland; and health and social services trusts and boards in Northern Ireland.

ABOUT THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF NURSING

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is the voice of nursing across the UK and is the largest professional union of nursing in the world. The RCN promotes the interest of nurses and patients on a wide range of issues and helps shape healthcare policy by working closely with the UK Governments and other national and international institutions, trade unions, professional bodies and voluntary organisations.

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