This CPD-certified webinar has been orgnised by the Centre of Excellence in Safety for Older People (CESOP) and the Centre for Remediation, Support and Training (CRST).

COVID-19 continues to have a devastating impact across all sections of the community and the impact on BAME healthcare professionals and their families has been profound. In over two hundred NHS and Social Care publically reported deaths, and sadly, data for the over representation of BAME mortality, continues to swell, leaving many in a state of anxiety, depression and apprehension in looking for answers.

The webinar discusses the evidence, the role of co-morbidities, the socio-economic factors leading to disproportionate impact. While we wait for research answers into the reasons for increased susceptibility and virulence for the time being the only answer is assessing and mitigating the risks and practising social distancing.

Key messages from the webinar:

- Urgent risk assessment and appropriate action is needed to ensure that all black and minority ethnic staff are not at additional risk from COVID-19

- The NHS and Department of Health and Social Care should develop a clear strategy based on a comprehensive and inclusive intellectual and cultural competence

- Research into communication with communities and effective culturally sensitive public health messaging is necessary to reduce risk

- There is a need for an independent inquiry on health and socioeconomic inequalities and their disproportionate impact on black and minority ethnic communities

** All attendees will receive a CPD certificate following the webinar**
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    Chair: Professor Iqbal Singh, OBE
    Consultant Physician & Chair, Centre of Excellence in Safety for Older People
    Professor Singh is a consultant physician and Chair of the Centre of Excellence in Safety for Older People (CESOP) and has led on training and education of the workforce within the health and social care sector on issues around improving skills and knowledge and equally focusing on embedding a culture of compassion, dignity and respect.

    He has been a leading contributor to healthcare and medical regulation and as commissioner Health Care Commission and Chair of the Expert Reference Group on Patient Safety with national and international experts, he led the development of criteria indicators for assessment of safety in healthcare. He is also chair of the GMC BME Doctors’ Forum and chaired the GMC’s Equality and Diversity Committee from 2008 – 2012 and founded Diversity Partners. He is a member of the National Platinum Awards Committee and medical vice chair of the Advisory Committee for Clinical Excellence Awards (ACCEA) North West and led the way for stakeholder engagement.

    He is Founder Chair of the Centre for Remediation, Support and Training (CRST), focusing on induction, support mentorship and remediation - helping international graduates successfully integrate into NHS and communities, developing resilience and addressing their mental and physical health and wellbeing.

    He is a member of the Health Honours Committee which advises on nominations for honours in the New Year and Birthday Honours lists and member of the Diversity Inclusion Committee providing oversight on embedding diversity in the Honours system.
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    Andrew Foster, CBE
    Senior Lead for Workforce Supply and Deployment & Executive Lead for Leadership, NHS England and NHS Improvement
    Andrew has had a number of responsibilities within NHSE/I since retiring as a Trust Chief Executive. He is currently managing the programme to bring retired staff back into the NHS and all issues of deploying staff safely. This has particularly included risk assessment of all staff with regard to enhanced risk factors including ethnicity. He has also led the Leadership work for the postponed People Plan and been Interim Managing Director of the NHS Leadership Academy. He is also a Non-Executive Director at Health Education England and Trustee of ENT UK.

    Previously he was CEO at Wrightington Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust from January 2007 to October 2019. His main interests have been quality and staff engagement with a particular desire to learn from the best hospitals in the world. Over the years WWL has developed a significant reputation for all round performance, whilst also achieving almost all major targets and enjoying financial stability. WWL has won many national and regional awards including HSJ Provider Trust of the Year in 2014. It is rated ‘Good’ by the CQC in all domains, for all sites and for Use of Resources.

    Before WWL, he spent five years as the NHS Director of Human Resources (Workforce Director General) at the Department of Health with principal responsibility for implementing the workforce expansion and HR systems modernisation set out in the NHS Plan of 2000.

    Previously he spent two years as part time Policy Director (HR) at the NHS Confederation. Andrew was also the Chairman of Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Trust from 1996 to 2001 and before that Chairman of West Lancashire NHS Trust and non-executive director at Wrightington Hospital NHS Trust.

    From 2016 to 2018 he was sponsor CEO for the Action on A&E Programme in the North of England.
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    Sanjay Arya
    Consultant Cardiologist & Medical Director, Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust
    Dr Arya is a Consultant Cardiologist providing comprehensive cardiac service.

    His areas of interest are coronary artery disease, heart failure, arrhythmia, syncope and cardiac
    assessment for non-cardiac surgery and Professional footballers. He provides high quality evidence based medicine.

    He is the Medical Director of Wrightington, Wigan & Leigh NHS Foundation Trust. He plays a critical role in the performance of the organisation, providing leadership to the medical workforce, focussing on delivery of clinically safe and financially sustainable high quality services within the framework of robust clinical governance.
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    Gurpreet Singh
    Honorary Consultant in Neuro-Urology & Non-Executive Director, Southport and Ormskirk NHS Trust
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    Ayaz Abbasi
    Consultant Emergency Medicine, Trustee of APPNE & Trust Appraisal Lead
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    Kailash Chand
    Honorary Vice President, British Medical Association
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    Irfan Akhtar
    Consultant GI Surgeon
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    Suresh Rao
    Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon