Responding to NHS England and NHS Improvement's latest Workforce Disability Equality Standard report, director of policy and strategy at NHS Providers Miriam Deakin said:

"Trusts will welcome this latest report and its focus on good practice. Making transparent the inequalities faced by disabled staff over the past few years has undoubtedly helped organisations in their efforts to improve disabled colleagues' experiences and representation in the workplace.

"It's encouraging to see that the number of disabled people at board level has almost doubled since 2019 and that the chances of shortlisted disabled staff being appointed have improved again this year.

"We are very concerned, however, that disabled staff are nearly twice as likely to be referred to a performance management process, and significantly more likely to suffer bullying, harassment and abuse from patients and colleagues compared to staff who are not disabled.

"Trust leaders and colleagues in national NHS bodies and government must continue to focus on creating inclusive environments. A considerable gap remains between the proportion of staff identifying themselves as disabled anonymously within the NHS staff survey and those who feel confidant to do so with their employer. It is vital that this discrepancy is addressed."