Psychiatrists on boards: the diversity of psychiatrists working as board directors in Mental Health Trusts in England

Abstract

BackgroundThe lack of diversity in healthcare leadership has been reported as a risk factor for the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on black and ethnic minority healthcare staff. The medical workforce is increasingly diverse but not necessarily in its senior leadership.MethodsWe aimed to describe the characteristics of psychiatrists with board-level responsibility in Mental Health Trusts in England, comparing the current picture to that of 2016, using publicly available sources of data. We examined whether the psychiatric leaders were representative of the consultant workforce.ResultsPsychiatrists in senior leadership positions are unrepresentative of the consultant workforce, with UK and Irish graduates, and forensic psychiatrists being over-represented, and general adult psychiatrists being under-represented. There has been minimal change between 2016 and 2020, despite a 50% turnover in those holding board-level responsibility.ConclusionsIf greater diversity in psychiatric leadership is desired, stronger action needs to be taken to promote leadership development opportunities from under-represented groups.