GPhC Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Strategy

The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) recently adopted its Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Strategy.  Unfairness and inequality have been a feature of the GPhC’s fitness to practise decision making for some time. 

We look at the GPhC’s EDI Strategy and what it means for pharmacists and other registered pharmacy professionals.

Racial Bias in the GPhC

In 2020, the GPhC began redacting any information that might identify a pharmacist’s ethnicity from documents that are seen by fitness to practise investigating committees in an attempt to remove bias from the system.

The GPhC recognise that bias in its fitness to practise processes continues to be an issue.  In its updated “Managing concerns about pharmacy professionals: our strategy for change” document for example, it states:

“We need to better understand why we get a higher number of concerns about black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) professionals than we ought to expect statistically. Also, when we progress a concern, we need to be sure that we are minimising and dealing with the risk of potential biases in our decision-making.”

Are You At High Risk?

Data released by the GPhC showed that almost half (47%) of the 200 pharmacists suspended or removed from the pharmacy register between 1 January 2016 and 31 December 2018, were black, Asian or from an ethnic minority (BAME). If pharmacists who did not provide their ethnicity are removed from the data, 57% of those suspended or removed were BAME.

Of the pharmacists on the GPhC register, 45% identify as BAME, 45% identify as white and 10% give no ethnicity.

More recently, between April 1, 2019 and March 31, 2020, the GPhC received a total of 1,322 fitness to practise concerns against pharmacists.  Almost two-thirds (59%) of the concerns raised against pharmacists were against black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) professionals, who together made up 48% – 28,659 of 59,373 – pharmacists on the GPhC register during April 1 2019 to March 31 2020 financial year.  

It is clear therefore that BAME pharmacists are at much higher risk of a fitness to practise complaint, investigation and sanction.

EDI Strategy

Acknowledging there is an issue of inequality, disproportionately affecting BAME pharmacists in fitness to practise procedures, what can pharmacists expect from the GPhC in its new EDI strategy?

Theme 1 – To make regulatory decisions that are demonstrably fair, lawful, and so free from discrimination and bias 

Here the GPhC said it will:

• develop a new corporate approach to assess and improve the diversity data it collects from registered pharmacy professionals;
• routinely publish diversity ‘datasets’ – including diversity data on fitness to practise cases
• use diversity data to identify and monitor any disproportionate impacts on different groups, and to take steps to understand and deal with potentially discriminatory outcomes (I.e. anonymous decision-making)
• support GPhC staff to make non-discriminatory regulatory decisions
• take appropriate action when concerns are raised about discriminatory behaviour by pharmacy professionals
• monitor key sources of intelligence (for example, complaints and fitness to practise concerns) for EDI themes and issues

Theme 2 – To use our standards to proactively help tackle discrimination and to make sure everyone can access person-centred care, fostering equality of health outcomes

Under this theme the GPhC said it would:

• develop comprehensive equality guidance for pharmacy owners
• support pharmacy technicians, pharmacists and pharmacy teams to provide person-centred care that recognises and respects diversity and cultural differences
  

Theme 3 – To lead by example and demonstrate best practice within our organisation, holding ourselves to the same high standards we expect of others 

Amongst other things the GPhC said it will:

• carry out a learning needs analysis to spot gaps in the EDI knowledge of our workforce
• continue to take positive action to improve the opportunities and experiences of under-represented groups within our staff

We are here when you need us

Kings View has been advising and representing doctors for many years. If you are facing an employment or fitness to practise investigation or hearing relating to “blowing the whistle”, you can speak to us today for a free, no obligation assessment of your case. 

Through our experience, we know that the circumstances that leads to things going wrong are never straightforward

Kings View are public access barristers, meaning that you can instruct us directly without having the additional expense of hiring a solicitor first (so we are generally at least one third cheaper). 

You can speak to us today for a free, no obligation assessment of your case.