The BMJ Interview: Victor Adebowale on systemic racism in the NHS

“The fact of the matter is that this is a systemic issue, as awkward as that might be for some people to hear,” says Victor Adebowale. “That’s the evidence. It can be changed, but you can’t change something if you refuse to accept what it is.”

Adebowale’s stark assessment of racism in the NHS strikes a powerful note in 2020, the year in which the killing of George Floyd, the Black Lives Matter movement, and covid-19 have exposed racial inequalities around the world—and the urgent need to reduce them.

The Yorkshire born son of Nigerian parents has been tackling inequalities for many years, including a two decade stint in charge of Turning Point, a charity that supports people dealing with substance misuse, mental ill health, and learning disabilities. He was made a CBE in 2000 for services to the Labour government’s New Deal and to unemployed and young homeless people, and he was appointed as one of the first “People’s Peers” in 2001, becoming a crossbench member of the Lords.

Now chair of the NHS Confederation—a post he has held since April—Adebowale cites reducing inequality as one of his top priorities, alongside improving access to services and digital transformation. He says that the disproportionate impact of the covid-19 pandemic on disadvantaged groups has only increased his desire for swift action.