Many BAME coronavirus deaths were 'avoidable', says taskforce

A “perfect storm of factors meant that the West Midlands BAME community was hit hardest", the body said as they highlighted a lack of trust in the NHS and poor communication which meant many "suffered in silence".

The taskforce, led by Labour mayoral candidate Liam Byrne, also said areas with higher BAME populations, such as Wolverhampton and Sandwell, had suffered some of the harshest cuts to health budgets over recent years.

The group was set up to examine the reasons why BAME people have been disproportionately impacted by Covid-19. Experts have offered a range of explanations, including deprivation and inter-generational households.

Some 64 per cent of coronavirus deaths at Birmingham City Hospital in March were BAME people.

But the taskforce, which also featured MPs, health bosses and councillors and heard testimony from those who had lost loved ones, uncovered worrying claims that some members of the BAME community hadn't sought treatment because they believed they would receive a poorer standard of care, or would not survive going into hospital.

There were also worries among some people who don't have a strong grasp of English that they would be cut off from relatives and not be able to communicate. A lack of PPE for BAME workers early on was also cited as a major factor.

The taskforce has called for greater communication and increased funding, as well as more reliable data to prevent a similar crisis occurring in the event of a second wave or future pandemic.

Mr Byrne said: “We heard about families holding back from seeking help because they were worried about the care they would receive.

“We heard about BAME workers on the frontline having to make their own personal protective equipment, or having to pull strings to visit dying loved ones – and now a significant risk of ongoing trauma and mental health issues, because so many have lost loved ones, without the normal traditions of being able to say goodbye.

“The lack of personal protective equipment in the early stages led to many BAME staff being struck down themselves and passing Covid-19 onto their families.

“The Government must now call an independent inquiry to learn this lessons – and I’ll present this report to the House of Commons to demand they get on with it.”

Wolverhampton councillor Sandra Samuels, who was part of the taskforce, said stories of some people choosing not to seek care were "worrying".

She said: "A lot of people in the BAME community didn't want to go into hospital. People were saying ethnic minority members were going into hospital and just weren't surviving. I think that in itself created fear, there were Chinese whispers going around the community.

"I just feel more could have been done to explain what was going on. Take somewhere like Whitmore Reans - there are over 70 different languages. One size does not fit all. This enormous number of deaths could have been avoided."

She added: "They need to make sure there is communication with the public, informing them and reminding them to follow Covid guidance."