Race and Ethnicity: A new perspective
For Race Equality Week 2026, Mary Chan, a Specialist Biomedical Scientist at WGH Blood Sciences in Edinburgh, explores how acknowledging significant changes in the multicultural population can foster greater openness and acceptance.
Even though race and ethnicity are different, they are often used interchangeably. While they can be interrelated, according to the Oxford Dictionary, race refers to a person’s skin tone and physical characteristics, while ethnicity tends to mean a person’s heritage and culture.
The significant change in the multicultural population in Scotland over the past 20 years cannot be underestimated, with a substantial increase in ethnic diversity in Scotland, particularly in cities such as Glasgow and Edinburgh since the early 2000s being highlighted in recent census data. When I arrived in Edinburgh as a student over 23 years ago, I found hardly any other people from my race and culture at the university.
Living in a modern world, it is nearly impossible for someone not to have seen, met, or associated with at least one individual of a different race and ethnicity from their own, because, as the saying goes, ‘It’s a small world’. The question now for us all is: How do we approach race and ethnicity with a new perspective?
Although privileged to gain employment with the NHS, for the first 8 years of my work, I was the only ethnic minority staff member from my race and culture there. This came with the challenges of trying to fit in and understanding my newfound culture.
The UK government introduced the Tier 2 (General) visa as the main route for non-EU workers in the 2000s, until December 2020, when it was replaced by the ‘Skilled Worker Visa’. This has helped to some extent to fill the workforce gap caused by a high number of staff retiring, combined with the challenges of finding UK-based Biomedical Scientists. The gradual increase in the number of international professionals in the UK from different races and cultures calls for the need to encourage inclusivity.
One way health institutions can approach this is by developing resources, such as local policies encapsulating Equality, Diversity and Human Rights and a mandatory eLearning framework which introduces equality, diversity and human rights for health and social care workers. There are also Staff Networks in the NHS comprising employees coming together to support the health and well-being of staff by covering BAME (Black and Minority Ethnic), Carers, Disability, LGBT+, and Women's aspects. Staff Networking especially, provides a point of contact and support on equality and diversity issues.
Each individual should be treated with respect and mutual understanding to foster a healthy working relationship and to ensure staff know they are valued.
It is not always possible to understand other people’s cultures; however, it is absolutely possible to treat individuals with care, dignity, respect, and compassion, especially in a professional environment in keeping with NHS values.
Diversity, in whatever shape or form, is worth celebrating and valuing, as it fosters openness and acceptance. For example, my department holds an annual cultural day that promotes the appreciation of cultural diversity. We celebrate through the sharing of food, poems, facts, and traditional dress codes.
The IBMS has highlighted this issue by updating its Principles of Good Professional Practice and Conduct (2024) to include ‘Inclusion’ with Equality and Diversity. This provides guidance for all registered Biomedical Scientists to recognise and have a proactive role in acknowledging the impact race and ethnicity can have in workplaces.
