Responding to a letter from the Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay to the chairs of England's integrated care boards, which requests that NHS organisations stop recruiting equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) roles, Sir Julian Hartley, chief executive at NHS Providers said:

"Evidence repeatedly shows there are stark inequalities in healthcare that must be tackled.

"EDI can help create an NHS-wide culture where leaders feel equipped to deal with all forms of discrimination.

"The government-commissioned Messenger review concluded that EDI roles are vital and should be embedded at all levels of the health service to effectively tackle discrimination.

"Work to instil values and behaviours that help build a more equal, diverse and inclusive health service, which ensures fair treatment and opportunity for everyone, is essential.

"As the NHS faces over 125,000 workforce gaps, ensuring the psychological safety of staff is key to retention and recruitment, which ultimately benefits patient care and outcomes."