Publish date: 17 February 2026
We are proud to report that the Trust is becoming more diverse and inclusive, with 61.3% of our workforce identifying as Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) which is reflective of our local communities for the first time; supporting better understanding, trust and outcomes for the patients we serve.
Furthermore, 50% of senior leadership roles (Band 7 and above) are now held by BME staff, the Trust’s greatest annual improvement and ahead of the national NHS average.
Alongside the senior leadership milestone, the Trust has continued to improve in other areas; disabled staff representation has also increased and we are the only Trust in North West London where women are paid more than men on average, reflecting our longstanding commitment to equitable pay practices.
“This report shows how our commitment to ‘Putting People First’ is translating into real, measurable progress", said Ragini Patel, Chief People Officer.
“This milestone is critical because leadership must reflect the diverse communities we serve. As outlined in our Anti-racist Policy, diverse leadership drives better decision-making, fosters a culture of belonging, and ultimately improves the quality of patient care. When combined with our wider workforce initiatives and the tangible delivery of PCREF, it is clear that putting people first is not just a priority, it’s becoming a reality across the organisation.
“We remain steadfast in our zero-tolerance approach to racism as we strive to create an equitable environment where every individual can thrive.”
This progress is highlighted in the newly published Equality Report, and aligns with the Trust strategy priority ‘Putting people first’.
Tangible progress can also be seen in how we care for our patients, as we embed the NHS’s first anti-racism framework for mental health services, the ‘Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework (PCREF)’. Over the past year, PCREF has been adopted across our services and the Trust has appointed Lived Experience Leads to ensure patient and carer voices directly inform service improvements. A grant from the Race and Health Observatory to improve the accuracy of capturing ethnicity data, will support the progress of this work into the future.
These developments are having real impact; BME representation among mental health referrals and inpatients increased from 51.5% to 53.5% in the last year showing progress in reaching communities who have previously experienced unequal access, poorer experiences and outcomes in mental health services.