The study is a continuation of previous work to understand how discrimination contributes to inequalities in health and health services, and aims to continue this work by examining the impact of COVID-19 on inequalities experience by ethnic minority people working in health and social care.

It aims to: 

• Identify ethnic inequalities in mental health and occupational outcomes amongst NHS health and social care workers, how COVID-19 exacerbates such inequalities,and the processes through which inequalities are produced, maintained and resisted. 
• Develop a Race Equality Assessment toolkit, to help ensure minority ethnic perspectives are prioritised in research and education for all NHS staff. 
• Develop education and training resources targeted at improving ethnic minority health and social care worker experiences, job retention and relevant NHS policies. 

An ethnicity module will be incorporated into an ongoing national longitudinal study of NHS staff (NHS CHECK, www.nhscheck.org) to assess health and work outcomes by ethnicity over an 18-month period. The survey will capture existing and emerging ethnic inequalities in mental and occupational outcomes between White British and  ethnic minority staff during and after COVID-19. 

Interviews (telephone/online) will also be carried out with ethnic minority staff with three samples:

1. NHS CHECK sample of  ethnic minority health and social care staff recruited from NHS CHECK Trusts across the UK.
2. Pre/post COVID-19 TIDES sample of London-based nurses and healthcare assistants who have previously completed interviews as part of the TIDES Phase 1. 
3. TIDES senior management sample. 
4. Social care worker sample. 

The interviews will explore how COVID-19 has affected mental and physical health and occupational outcomes, the impact of COVID-19 on experiences of discrimination, bullying and harassment during and post COVID-19, and the structural factors underpinning elevated adversity for ethnic minority staff during COVID-19.