Retrospective observational study of ethnicity-gender pay gaps among hospital and community health service doctors in England

Objectives To identify differences in average basic pay between groups of National Health Service (NHS) doctors cross-classified by ethnicity and gender. Analyse the extent to which characteristics (grade, specialty, age, hours, etc.) can explain these differences.Design Retrospective observational...

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Main Authors: Mark Williams, Carol Woodhams, Ira Parnerkar, Mukunda Sharma
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2021-12-01
Series:BMJ Open
Online Access:https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/11/12/e051043.full
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author Mark Williams
Carol Woodhams
Ira Parnerkar
Mukunda Sharma
author_facet Mark Williams
Carol Woodhams
Ira Parnerkar
Mukunda Sharma
author_sort Mark Williams
collection DOAJ
description Objectives To identify differences in average basic pay between groups of National Health Service (NHS) doctors cross-classified by ethnicity and gender. Analyse the extent to which characteristics (grade, specialty, age, hours, etc.) can explain these differences.Design Retrospective observational study using repeated cross-section design.Setting Hospital and Community Health Service (HCHS) in England.Participants All HCHS doctors in England employed by the NHS between 2016 and 2020 appearing in the Digital Electronic Staff Record dataset (average N=99 953 per year).Main outcome measures Hours-adjusted full-time equivalent pay gaps; given as raw data and further adjusted for demographic, job, and workplace characteristics (such as grade, specialty, age, whether British nationality, region) using multivariable regression and statistical decomposition techniques.Results Pay gaps relative to white men vary with the ethnicity-gender combination. Indian men slightly out-earn white men and Bangladeshi women have a 40% pay gap. In most cases, pay gaps can largely be explained by characteristics that can be measured, especially grade, with the extent varying by specific ethnicity-gender group. However, a portion of pay gaps cannot be explained by characteristics that can be measured.Conclusions This study presents new evidence on ethnicity-gender pay gaps among NHS doctors in England using high quality administrative and payroll data. The findings indicate all ethnicity-gender groups earn less than white men on average, except for Indian men. In some cases, these differences cannot be explained giving rise to discussions about the role of discrimination.
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spelling doaj-art-afbacfbf61f342cabd83bf6f10fee9b62025-08-20T02:38:25ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552021-12-01111210.1136/bmjopen-2021-051043Retrospective observational study of ethnicity-gender pay gaps among hospital and community health service doctors in EnglandMark Williams0Carol Woodhams1Ira Parnerkar2Mukunda Sharma3School of Business and Management, Queen Mary University of London, London, UKSurrey Business School, University of Surrey, Guildford, UKSurrey Business School, University of Surrey, Guildford, UKIndependent Researcher, London, UKObjectives To identify differences in average basic pay between groups of National Health Service (NHS) doctors cross-classified by ethnicity and gender. Analyse the extent to which characteristics (grade, specialty, age, hours, etc.) can explain these differences.Design Retrospective observational study using repeated cross-section design.Setting Hospital and Community Health Service (HCHS) in England.Participants All HCHS doctors in England employed by the NHS between 2016 and 2020 appearing in the Digital Electronic Staff Record dataset (average N=99 953 per year).Main outcome measures Hours-adjusted full-time equivalent pay gaps; given as raw data and further adjusted for demographic, job, and workplace characteristics (such as grade, specialty, age, whether British nationality, region) using multivariable regression and statistical decomposition techniques.Results Pay gaps relative to white men vary with the ethnicity-gender combination. Indian men slightly out-earn white men and Bangladeshi women have a 40% pay gap. In most cases, pay gaps can largely be explained by characteristics that can be measured, especially grade, with the extent varying by specific ethnicity-gender group. However, a portion of pay gaps cannot be explained by characteristics that can be measured.Conclusions This study presents new evidence on ethnicity-gender pay gaps among NHS doctors in England using high quality administrative and payroll data. The findings indicate all ethnicity-gender groups earn less than white men on average, except for Indian men. In some cases, these differences cannot be explained giving rise to discussions about the role of discrimination.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/11/12/e051043.full
spellingShingle Mark Williams
Carol Woodhams
Ira Parnerkar
Mukunda Sharma
Retrospective observational study of ethnicity-gender pay gaps among hospital and community health service doctors in England
BMJ Open
title Retrospective observational study of ethnicity-gender pay gaps among hospital and community health service doctors in England
title_full Retrospective observational study of ethnicity-gender pay gaps among hospital and community health service doctors in England
title_fullStr Retrospective observational study of ethnicity-gender pay gaps among hospital and community health service doctors in England
title_full_unstemmed Retrospective observational study of ethnicity-gender pay gaps among hospital and community health service doctors in England
title_short Retrospective observational study of ethnicity-gender pay gaps among hospital and community health service doctors in England
title_sort retrospective observational study of ethnicity gender pay gaps among hospital and community health service doctors in england
url https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/11/12/e051043.full
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AT iraparnerkar retrospectiveobservationalstudyofethnicitygenderpaygapsamonghospitalandcommunityhealthservicedoctorsinengland
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