From conversation to commitment: Racism in Care Forum
Why we held the forum
On 1 October, more than 75 people attended our Racism in Care Forum, delivered through our Thinking Together community engagement model in partnership with Healthwatch Reading and the Alliance for Cohesion and Racial Equality (ACRE).
The forum brought together people with lived experience, community members, NHS trusts, councils, health and social care professionals, academics, and voluntary and community organisations to discuss racism, discrimination and inequalities in health and social care.
Held in response to feedback from local residents, the forum provided an opportunity to share experiences, explore how services can better meet the needs of diverse communities, and make commitments to take action.
Through honest conversations and shared learning, attendees identified practical steps to help drive meaningful change and improve experiences of care for all.
Survey findings
Ahead of the forum, both Healthwatch surveyed residents across both areas to understand more about the experiences of racism and discrimination in health and social care. The survey ran for 17 days in September 2026 and received 38 responses.
Expand the sections below to view the key findings and to read the full survey results.
Key survey findings
Racism and discrimination were reported across a range of health and social care services.
50% of respondents had experienced racism or discrimination within the last year.
Royal Berkshire Hospital (45%), GP practices (24%) and Emergency Departments (21%) were the most commonly reported settings.
More than 7 in 10 respondents (71%) had not reported their experience.
The most common reason for not reporting was a belief that nothing would change (61%).
Nearly 4 in 10 respondents (39%) did not know how to report an incident.
Most respondents were women (76%), aged 25-64 years old (73%) and from a diverse range of backgrounds.
Full survey results
Commitments and key priorities from the forum
Drawing on the presentations, lived experiences, our survey results, and discussions shared throughout the day, attendees identified key priorities for tackling racism and inequalities in health and social care.
Attendees were also invited to make four commitments to help turn discussion into action and drive meaningful change.
Click the arrow below to view the key priorities, actions and commitments identified during the forum. These will help inform future work across Berkshire West and support ongoing collaboration between communities, health and care organisations, and local partners. Clicking on the image will open it in a separate tab for a larger view.
Commitments and priority actions
Speaker presentations
Speakers shared their experiences and insights during the forum. You can access their presentations. Use the arrows below to expand each section and access presentation slides and speaker information.
Lived experience is evidence
Speakers: Dr Alice Mpofu- Coles, Keith Seville, Shamin Zafar (Healthwatch Wokingham Borough), Rabbi Zvi Solomons, Jacqueline Mukuno (Project Salama), Nordia Nelson, Zain Kiani (youth voice) and Dr Victor Koroma.
Some speakers used presentation slides to support their sessions, while others presented without slides or shared an audio recording.
NHS Anti-Racism Model for Improvement Framework (MFI-AR)
Speaker: Idil Ibrahim, Implementation Manager, NHS Race and Health Observatory
Anti-Racism Programme (Thames Valley Integrated Care Board)
Speaker: Yasmin Mahmood, Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, and Culture Change, Thames Valley Integrated Care Board
Operation Cavell; Protecting and supporting NHS staff who are victims of crime at work
Speaker: Alison Drew, Associate Chief Nurse for Patient Experience, Workforce and Education, Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust
Unity Against Racism, Progress, impact and next steps (Royal Berkshire Hospital 2023-2026)
Speaker: Karla Iniss, Head of Inclusion, Organisational Development and Organisational Experience, Royal Berkshire Hospital
Wokingham Borough Council: Being a "Marmot Borough" and how this supports our anti-racism charter
Speaker: Emily Higson, Head of Insight, Strategy & Inclusion, Wokingham Borough Council
Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust - Snapshot of activity
Speaker: Sarah Bailey, Director of Midwifery, Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust
Panel discussions roundup
Click on the arrows below to expand each section to download the discussion panel roundups.
Community reflection panel
Leadership and accountability panel
Attendee reflections: What does racism mean to you?
Throughout the event, attendees were invited to share their thoughts on what racism means to them by adding comments to Post-It notes displayed around the venue. Click the arrow below to view the collated views. Clicking on the image will open it in a separate tab for a larger view.
Infographic: What does racism mean to you?
Thank you
Thank you to everyone who attended, shared their experiences and contributed to the discussion. We are especially grateful to our speakers, to ACRE, and to our Healthwatch Reading and Healthwatch Youth volunteers for helping make the event a success.
The strong attendance and engagement highlighted the importance of creating safe spaces for people to share their experiences. It also demonstrated the trust local communities place in Healthwatch as an independent champion for people who use health and social care services.
Tell us what you thought
We welcome your feedback on the forum. If you attended the event, please complete our short feedback form to help us improve our future events. Click on the pink button below.
Photo gallery
Use the arrow below to view a selection of photos taken at the forum.
