Labour calls on race disparity unit to publish Covid-19 recommendations

Labour has called on the government’s race disparity unit to immediately publish Covid-19 recommendations after the Public Health England review promised to include proposals but failed to deliver any.

The original terms of reference released in early May committed the review to putting forward “recommendations for further action that should be taken to reduce disparities in risk and outcomes from Covid-19”.

But the review published earlier this week offered no recommendations. Labour’s Marsha de Cordova at the time expressed frustration, saying that that on “the question of how we reduce these disparities, it is notably silent”.

The Shadow Women and Equalities Secretary said: “This review confirms what we already knew – that racial and health inequalities amplify the risks of Covid-19. Those in the poorest households and people of colour are disproportionately impacted.”

The data review confirmed that age is the biggest risk factor in relation to Covid-19, but also that people from black and Asian ethnic groups are twice as likely to die from the novel coronavirus than those from a white British background.

It also stated that “people who live in deprived areas have higher diagnosis rates and death rates than those living in less deprived areas” and that this is “greater than the inequality in mortality rates seen in recent years”.

After the coronavirus briefing on Wednesday included a pledge that the race disparity unit would carry out further work in its response to the PHE review, Labour has urged those findings to be made public now.

De Cordova said the lack of proposals left us “with more questions than answers”, adding: “The government must not wait any longer to address underlying racial and socioeconomic injustices, so that no more lives are lost.”

When the Covid-19 review was released, there was no forewarning for journalists or a press release. Many speculated that the publication was rushed after Sky News reported that there would be a further delay due to fear of a backlash amid Black Lives Matter protests.

The Health Service Journal afterwards reported that sections relating to recommendations based on analysis of BAME disparities “did not survive contact with Matt Hancock’s office”.