Race

Definitions 

In this section, where “White” is used to categorise members of the Workforce, it includes staff who self-identified as: 

• White – Scottish; 
• White – Other British; 
• White – Irish; 
• White – Polish; 
• White – Other; or 
• White – Gypsy Traveller. 

Similarly, the grouping of Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) members of the workforce, includes staff who self-identified as: 

• African – African, African Scottish or African British (shortened below to “African”); 
• African – Other; 
• Asian – Bangladeshi, Bangladeshi Scottish or Bangladeshi British (shortened below to “Asian - Bangladeshi”); 
• Asian – Chinese, Chinese Scottish or Chinese British (shortened below to “Asian – Chinese”); 
• Asian – Indian, Indian Scottish or Indian British (shortened below to “Asian – Indian”); 
• Asian – Pakistani, Pakistani Scottish or Pakistani British (shortened Below to “Asian – Pakistani”); 
• Asian – Other; 
• Caribbean or Black – Other; 
• Mixed or Multiple Ethnic Group; 
• Other Ethnic Group – Arab, Arab Scottish or Arab British (shortened below to “Other Ethnic Group – Arab”); or 
• Other Ethnic Group – Other. 

Additionally, some people did not provide information on their ethnicity or preferred not to say what their ethnicity is. 

Workforce Breakdown 

At the end of the monitored period the largest proportion of employees identified themselves as “White – Scottish”, coming in at 66.9% of the workforce, 0.8% less than in March 2022. The next largest group were those that did not provide any information on their ethnicity (“Don’t Know” or “No Information Provided”), with 10.2%, compared to 10.8% the previous year. 

Minority ethnic groups made up 7.5% of the workforce (0.9% greater than in 2022), compared to 4% of the Scottish population as a whole and between 5% and 10% of the population of Glasgow City (Scotland’s 2011 census: https://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk/; Census 2011 equality results: analysis, part 2). 

The percentage workforce breakdown by ethnicity is shown in the table below as at the end of March each year from March 2012.

In 2012, 2013 and 2014 Asian – Pakistani was counted in “Other Asian” and African was counted in “Other Ethnic Group”, as the number of staff members was too low to identify separately. In the years prior to 2018 “White – Irish”, “Mixed or Multiple Ethnic Group” and “Asian – Chinese” staff members were counted in “Other Ethnic Group”, as the number of staff members was too low to identify separately. In 2019 “Other Ethnic Group” included members of staf who identified as “White – Polish”, “Asian – Chinese”, “Other Ethnic Group – Arab” and “White – Gypsy Traveller”, as the number of staff members was too low to identify separately. In 2020 and 2021 “Other Ethnic Group” included members of staf who identified as “Asian - Chinese”, “Other Ethnic Group - Arab”, “Asian - Bangladeshi”, “White - Gypsy Traveller” and “Caribbean or Black”, as the number of staf members was too low to identify separately. In 2022 “White – Polish” is included in “Other Ethnic Group”, as the number of staff members was too low to identify separately. In 2023 “Other Ethnic Group” included members of staf who identified as “Asian Chinese”, “White Polish”, “Other Ethnic Group – 

Arab”, “White – Gypsy Traveller” and “Caribbean or Black”, as the number of staff members was too low to identify separately. 

The national census in 2011 showed the racial breakdown of those living in Scotland as at 27 March 2011. At that time, it indicated that the people of Scotland identified their ethnicity as shown in the table below. The NHS Scotland Workforce Statistics release as at 31 March 2022 (the last date for when information was available at time of writing this report), shows the ethnic group breakdown for staff in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde as at 31 March 2022. It might be expected that this would be similar to NHS GJ, but: 

Recruitment Activity 

The relative breakdown of new starters by ethnic group is shown in the chart below.

“Other Ethnic Group” includes “African”, “Mixed or Multiple Ethnic Group”, “Asian – Chinese” and “Other Ethnic Group – Arab”, as the proportion of staff in each was too low to identify separately. 

Minority ethnic groups made up 12.2% of new starters, far higher than the 7.5% of the general workforce they represent. In part this is due to NHS Scotland activity to recruit nurses from overseas. 

Training Activity 

When considering training activity undertaken during the monitored period, in terms of the ethnicity of the participants, the percentage corresponds with the proportion of the workforce those ethnic grouping represents: 

Career Progression 

The chart below shows the ethnic breakdown of members of the workforce who were promoted during the period under review, and compares that with the proportion of the workforce that ethnicity comprises. From this we can see that those who identify as White represent 84.9% of promotions and 79.2% of the workforce, while BAME colleagues represent 4.3% of promotions and 7.5% of the workforce. 

Leavers 

During the period under review the majority of leavers were “White – Scottish”. The proportion of them was just almost exactly the same as the proportion of the workforce they make up: 67.5% of leavers compared to 66.9% of the workforce. The proportion of leavers for whom no information on ethnicity was provided was 10.9%, compared to the 10.6% of the workforce who did not provide information on their ethnicity. Information on the ethnicity of leavers and the workforce can be seen in the table below: 

It can be instructive to examine what proportion of each ethnic group is leaving the workforce. This year, as shown in the table below, the group leaving the organisation at the highest rate is the “White – other British” category. 

Workforce Monitoring Report 2023