Introduction

This report sets out the 2024/25 annual workforce data in relation to race, which the trust is required by NHS England to publish.

Working to address inequalities identified by workforce data demonstrates our compliance with the Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Equality Duty. Monitoring workforce equalities data is also central to ensuring that we are delivering on our equality, diversity and inclusion priorities:

1. We will embed fair and inclusive recruitment and progression processes to improve the diversity of the workforce at all levels.
2. We will educate and empower our workforce and leaders to promote a positive psychologically safe culture, to support a reduction in the experience of bullying, harassment, discrimination and an improvement in retention.

Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES)

The WRES is a set of nine specific measures (indicators) which enables NHS organisations to compare the workplace and career experiences of Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) staff. We use the data to inform the development of projects and initiatives to improve NWAS for BME staff. Year on year comparison enables us to demonstrate progress against the indicators of race equality to create the cultures of belonging and trust that will improve retention, recruit from the widest possible talent pool and provide sustainable careers.

The data in this report relates to the period of 1 April 2024 – 31 March 2025 and comprises information taken from the Electronic Staff Record (MyESR), HR Business Partnering, Learning & Development, and the 2024 NHS Staff Survey.

In line with the nationally mandated timeframe, the data was submitted to NHS England in May 2025.

Indicator 1: Workforce information

Percentage of BME staff in each of the AfC Bands 1-9 and VSM (including executive Board members) compared with the percentage of BME staff in the overall workforce

• Representation of BME staff in non-clinical and clinical roles

Figures show a year-on-year increase in the number of BME staff in the organisation (almost double since 2019). There were 77 more BME staff in the organisation on 31 March 2025, compared to the same date in March 2024.

While there has been a slight decrease from the previous year in the percentage of BME staff in non-clinical cluster 2 and clinical cluster 3 (around 0.5%), there has, however, been a significant increase in the non-clinical cluster 4 – going from 6.8% in 2024 to 12.9% in 2025. In addition, the trust has surpassed its target of 0.5% annual increase in the representation of BME staff representation, rising from 6.0% in 2024 to 6.7% in March 2025.

The declaration rate for ethnicity in the trust is more than 99%, with only around 70 staff members not having declared. Colleagues are regularly reminded to update their details on the Electronic Staff Record and work continues to reduce the number of non-declarations, including through collaboration with the Race Equality Network.

Indicator 2: Recruitment

Relative likelihood of White applicants being appointed from shortlisting across all posts compared to BME applicants

The target outcome is a figure of 1.0 – meaning that BME candidates are no less likely to be appointed from shortlisting than candidates who are White. A figure of 1.0 reflects well on the fairness of recruitment processes.

The figures show that White staff are nearly two-and-a-half times more likely to be appointed, compared to BME applicants – a deterioration of the previous year’s position. This is despite more people from BME backgrounds applying and being shortlisted for trust roles in 2024/25 compared to the previous year, and more applicants being shortlisted.

In 2024/25 the Trust received more than 17500 applications for roles advertised across the organisation, with ~8000 applications from BME backgrounds – double the number of BME applicants in 2023/24. This year, 1485 BME applicants were shortlisted, an increase of over 400 from the year before.

Historic BME shortlisting and appointment data

This year overall, White applicants represented 52% of all applicants, rising to 70% at the shortlisting stage and 84% of those appointed. In comparison, BME applicants made up 46% of applications but were underrepresented in later stages – accounting for 27% of shortlisted candidates and just 10% of new starters (65 out of 620+ total). 

Despite sustained efforts over several years to improve recruitment processes, a significant challenge remains in converting the increasing number of BME applications into successful appointments. The recent decline in this indicator is a serious concern. To better understand the underlying causes and identify actionable solutions, a detailed deep dive will be undertaken. This work will concentrate on key recruitment stages, such as shortlisting and interviews/assessments, while also requiring managers to critically reflect on potential bias and ensure fairness in their decision-making.

The increase in the number of BME applicants and shortlisted candidates however, may be attributed to a range of factors including increases in capacity and staff resource of the Positive Action Team, use of diverse and inclusive imagery in communications campaigns for trust roles, and continuing review of inclusive language in job adverts. Around 20 successful BME applicants this year had benefitted from bespoke and in-depth 1:1 support and coaching from the Positive Action Team.

Additionally, the management leadership training modules (Beyond Bias and Leadership for Inclusion & Diversity) have helped enable greater awareness around managing cultural bias which influences recruitment and other areas.

More information on our inclusive recruitment work can be seen in the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Annual Report 2024-25.

A point on data – It should be noted that on our recruitment portal (Trac), a campaign is considered completed when all appointees from a campaign have commenced in post. This means that for example, if there is a vacancy that opens on 1 March 2025, but the successful individual(s) does not commence in post until 15 April 2025, this recruitment will not be counted in the data. This issue with the data is a particular challenge for us, as the trust manages several mass recruitment campaigns each year, and at times, these may cross over from one financial year to the other. The portal only closes a vacancy once every individual with an offer starts in the position.

In the case of mass recruitment campaigns this could lead to distorted data, as often there can be up to twelve months between a campaign opening and the last individual commencing on a training course. As a result, the data that is presented for the WRES submission, while correct at the time, may not accurately reflect our actual position.

Indicator 3: Formal Disciplinary Process

Relative likelihood of BME staff entering the formal disciplinary process compared to White staff

A figure of 1.0 or below is desired, as this would indicate BME staff are no more or less likely to enter the formal disciplinary process than White staff.

The data in this Indicator continues to show that BME staff are more than two-and-a-half times more likely to enter the formal disciplinary performance compared to their White colleagues. This marks the most significant disparity between the two staff groups since reporting began.

In 2024/25, there were around 180 formal disciplinary cases in the trust – which was a substantial increase on the 92 cases reported in the previous year. 29 cases this year related to BME staff, compared to 15 last year. This means that 16% of those in the formal disciplinary process were BME staff – a proportion significantly higher than the ~7% representation in the workforce.  

A high-level review of cases involving BME staff showed that 12 cases in 2024/25 related to allegations of gross misconduct (compared to three GM cases in 2023/24).

The majority of BME staff in NWAS work within the Integrated Contact Centres (ICC), and three-quarters of cases involved BME staff working in the ICC. This is a similar picture to data from 2023/24, which led to a deep dive undertaken by HR and ICC Management Team to explore, identify, and resolve the potential reasons for the disparity.

A dedicated Task and Finish Group has been established to undertake a detailed examination of the disciplinary data, with preliminary findings indicating that this issue is not unique to NWAS, but is also evident across other ambulance and wider NHS Trusts. As part of the ongoing review, case studies have been analysed to extract key learnings and inform the development of an action plan.

Indicator 4: Non-mandatory training and CPD

Relative likelihood of White staff accessing non-mandatory training and continuous professional development (CPD) compared to BME staff

The target outcome is a figure of 1.0 – meaning that BME staff are no less likely to be able to access non-mandatory training and CPD that White staff.

Since 2021/22, data has shown that BME and White staff groups have accessed non-mandatory training and CPD at comparable rates. This year’s figures indicate that, proportionally, more BME staff accessed these training opportunities than their White colleagues — although the overall numbers for both groups were lower than in the previous year:

• 2024/25 BME – 293; White – 3,838
• 2023/24 BME – 313; White – 5,406

The data in the following indicators (5 – 8) is based on responses from the NHS Staff Survey .

Indicator 5: Percentage of staff experiencing harassment, bullying or abuse from patients, relatives or the public in last 12 months

Figures this year show that the gap in experiences between BME and White staff narrowed significantly to less than 3%, due to a reduction in the percentage of White colleagues experiencing these negative behaviours. For both staff groups however, around one third continue to experience experiencing bullying, harassment or abuse from the public.

In the last year, the Trust has invested significantly in developing a Violence Prevention and Reduction Team who have been working to empower staff to report their experiences, and engaging with the police on prosecutions. It is anticipated that the work of the team will help reduce the prevalence of these negative behaviours, and staff experiences will continue to be monitored through the Staff Survey results.

Indicator 6: Percentage of staff experiencing harassment, bullying or abuse from staff in last 12 months

The percentage of staff experiencing negative behaviours from colleagues has continued to fall consistently, which is extremely positive. In the last year, the figures show a reduction of 5.5% among White staff and 4.4% among BME staff compared to the previous year. However, almost 1 in 5 BME staff continue to experience abuse from colleagues.

The positive decreases in this Indicator may reflect the impact of thematic learning sessions on sexual safety and hate crime delivered this year, with the Sexual Safety Steering Group reviewing incident data, identifying trends, and implementing targeted interventions and educational initiatives to improve sexual safety in the Trust. In addition, a series of Leadership and Culture events were delivered between October 2024 – March 2025, successfully bringing together leaders from across the Trust to engage in conversations about the culture review of the ambulance sector, which was published in February 2024.

Indicator 7: Percentage of staff believing that their trust provides equal opportunities for career progression or promotion

Following a decline in positive responses from BME staff on this question in 2023, the 2024 results showed a noteworthy increase of 5.6%. The gap between BME and White staff has halved, decreasing from 12% to 6%.

While this increase is encouraging, the figures still indicate that more than half of BME staff feel that career progression within the organisation is not fair. It is anticipated that the introduction of the Developing Leaders programme, along with work to improve career pathways from the Integrated Contact Centres (ICCs) and Patient Transport Service to Emergency Medical Technician roles, will help shift the dial further and improve perceptions.

Additionally, the Inclusive Recruitment Working Group will be re-launched in 2025/26, with membership from both operational and corporate teams. This group will provide a collaborative forum to drive continued improvements in recruitment and selection practices. Insights and themes emerging from exit interviews and new starter surveys will be analysed and used to inform ongoing improvements, supporting a more inclusive experience for both current employees and prospective applicants.

Indicator 8: Percentage of staff personally experiencing discrimination at work from a manager/team leader or other colleagues

Responses to this question in the Staff Survey from both BME and White staff this year have not shown any significant change compared to 2023.

The experiences of White staff have remained largely consistent over the past five years. However, responses from BME staff have fluctuated during the same period, with around 4% more BME respondents in 2024 reporting that they had experienced discrimination compared to 2020.

We remain committed to becoming an anti-racist organisation and to nurturing positive environments for all staff. Through this work, we aim to reduce incidents of discrimination and feelings of exclusion. Over the past year, NWAS managers have undertaken training on diversity, inclusion, and bias. Feedback from participants has highlighted improved awareness of the experiences of underrepresented groups and increased confidence in addressing EDI-related challenges. Staff have particularly valued the interactive discussions, lived experiences shared, and practical tools provided to help challenge bias.

Indicator 9: Representation of BME people among board members

Percentage difference between the organisation’s board voting membership and overall workforce, disaggregated by:

• Voting membership of the Board
• Executive membership of the Board.

BME representation on the Board has increased to 15.4% in 2024/25, up from 14.2% in 2023/24. The proportion of BME individuals on the Board is now more than double that of the overall workforce.

All members of the Board have declared their ethnicity.

The table below shows the percentage difference when comparing the total Board number to the overall workforce.

Trust-wide actions

The WRES data, along with the Workforce Disability Equality Standard (WDES) and Gender Pay Gap data (set out in separate reports), reflects the ongoing work to support all our staff groups and address inequalities in the workplace. While there have been some improvements across a number of key areas, we recognise that significant differences remain in the experiences of BME and White staff. We will continue to explore the reasons for this and implement actions to improve the employee experience of our BME colleagues.

Indicator 1 – Workforce representation

• We aim to establish and deliver specific targets for service lines around BME recruitment to help improve representation in our operational teams. These targets will contribute to the overall Trust target of a 0.5% year-on-year increase in BME workforce representation.

• We will deliver the first cohort of the Developing Leaders programme with a diverse group of participants. The programme is anticipated to commence in September 2025, following an application process earlier in the summer.

Indicator 2 – Recruitment

• We will carry out a comprehensive analysis to identify and understand the barriers preventing higher rates of BME appointments, using data and insights to inform meaningful change.
• Positive Action and Widening Access teams will continue to work to effect increases in applications from underrepresented groups. This will be delivered though targeted community outreach, focusing on areas in the North West with significant BME populations. We will build on our previous work to reach communities by partnering with key stakeholders in local areas which support people into employment.

• Large-scale recruitment campaigns for entry and support level roles will be promoted via our network of external organisations. We will deliver online and offline engagement activities with the support of community groups, to enable prospective applicants to better understand the organisation, roles, and recruitment process.

• We will enhance the bespoke 1:1 support and coaching at application and interview stages for  prospective applicants, provided by the PA and WA teams – helping increase the number of quality applications. Applicants requiring support will be identified through the ‘Applicant Tracking & Monitoring’, as well as via direct outreach engagement and referrals. Applicant Tracking – offering support to previously unsuccessful applicants from underrepresented groups, has been undertaken for selected roles, and this will be expanded to include all patient-facing roles.

• We will work to increase the participation of BME people in Pre-employment Programmes for entry level roles.

• We will develop and deliver bitesize training for managers, designed to improve interview skills, with a particular emphasis on assessing understanding around equality and inclusion focus on diversity and inclusion in the interview process.

Indicator 3 – Formal disciplinary process

• We will continue to review disciplinary cases relating to BME staff (particularly in ICCs) to better understand the data and develop an action plan to improve the application of disciplinary policy, ensuring it is used appropriately and fairly.

Indicator 5 – Experiences of harassment, bullying and abuse from the public

• Through collaborative working between ICC management and the Violence Prevention Reduction Team, we will Implement a clear procedure to support ICC staff dealing with racist abuse and unwanted sexual behaviour.

Indicator 8 – Discrimination

• We will progress our work to become an anti-racist organisation, publishing our Anti-racism Statement, establishing a steering group and working towards bronze level recognition of NW BAME Assemble Anti-racism Framework.

• We will continue the rollout of the Leading with Diversity & Inclusion module, ensuring all designated managers have completed it by the end of 2025/26.

A full set of actions are set out in our EDI Annual Plan.