Ethnic minority NHS nurses are much more likely to be turned down for promotion on multiple occasions if they are migrants to the UK than if they qualified here, research says.
As a result, nurses who have migrated to Britain are half as likely to be in senior positions as ethnic minority counterparts who did not, the study found.
Researchers from the University of Leicester surveyed 503 ethnic minority nurses in 52 hospitals across England, asking how many times they had been turned down for promotion to a higher NHS banding.
After adjusting the data to compare nurses of the same age, qualification level and job experience, they found that 33% of immigrant nurses had been turned down for promotion three or more times. The figure for ethnic minority nurses who first qualified in the UK was 18%.
As a result, 52% of migrant nurses were at Band 5, the entry level for nurses, and only 15% at the more senior Band 7 or above. The figures for non-migrant ethnic minority nurses were 30% and 31% respectively, even though the two groups had similar levels of overall nursing experience.
The researchers were Mr Precious Reuben, Dr Wen Wang and Professor Gregory Maniatopoulos, of the University of Leicester.
Mr Reuben told the British Sociological Association’s conference on work, employment and society today [Thursday, 10 September]: “When comparing nurses with the same experience and qualifications, it is evident that ethnic minority nurses who have migrated from abroad are much less likely to get promotion than those who first qualified in the UK.”
During interviews with 35 ethnic minority nurses and nurse leaders, he was told that migrant nurses were being relied upon for difficult clinical work and higher level responsibilities, but access to specialist courses, acting-up opportunities and preparation for promotion were restricted.
One senior nursing director told him that migrant nurses were used as “worker bees only” who were there to “plug a gap”.
The years of working as a nurse before coming to the UK were often discounted by promotion panels, Mr Reuben said. One nurse told him: “We already have 10 years plus of experience and you’re thinking ‘we’re starting from zero’.”
Mr Reuben told the conference that nurses’ accents could tell against them, even if their English was fluent.
“The issue was not a lack of competence or English-language ability. For multilingual nurses and others whose speech did not already fit conventions, their accent and wording could reduce their chances of promotion.”
In one panel, an interviewer believed that a candidate with a strong accent had performed very well and should have been appointed, but the other panel members disagreed and she was outvoted, he said.
The disparity in promotion prospects was not simply because one group was more likely to seek promotion – 46% of nurses at Band 5 in both immigrant and non-immigrant groups applied for promotion.
However, while 39% of ethnic minority nurses who first qualified in the UK had never failed to get promotion upon applying, the figure for those from abroad was 22%.
Mr Reuben said that the research did not imply that UK-qualified British ethnic minority nurses were free from racial disadvantage, or that migration explained all ethnic inequality.
- The 52 hospitals were in 13 NHS Trusts in England.
For more information, please contact:
Tony Trueman
British Sociological Association
Tel: 0044 (0)7964 023392
tony.trueman@britsoc.org.uk
Notes:
The British Sociological Association’s Work, Employment and Society Conference takes place from 9-11 September 2026 at the University of Bath, with more than 200 papers presented. The BSA is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales. Company Number: 3890729. Registered Charity Number 1080235 www.britsoc.co.uk
