22 AUGUST 2016

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Last week the NHS announced it would be introducing 50:50 quotas to get more women on NHS Trust boards. The findings of the report ‘Action not words – Making NHS boards more representative’ showed women and the BME community were hugley underrepresented in senior positions, with only 28% of board chairs women, and only 2% from ethnic minority backgrounds.

Sam Smethers, Fawcett CEO, responded:

“The NHS, like many other organisations has a major problem with women’s representation and BAME representation at the top. Despite the fact that the NHS is largely run by women and heavily relies on black and ethnic minority staff. This is why we need quotas. It won’t happen on its own.

“They have set a target of 50:50 representation on boards by 2020. That is going to prove to be an ambitious target and clearly they have some way to go. But at least they are recognising the problem and trying to address it.”

Read the full story here.

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The Fawcett Society has campaigned extensively on the proportion of women on company boards in the UK.  More information can be found in this report on FTSE 100 and 250 Board Directors Recruitment and Appointment Practices.

Link to the report: FTSE 100 and 250 Board Directors Recruitment and Appointment Practices