First-of-a-kind book breaks new ground toward more equitable medical care, to be published by Elsevier

A groundbreaking new text, Anti-Racist Medicine, edited by Dr Zeshan Qureshi (University of Cambridge), Professor Mehrunisha Suleman (University of Oxford), and Professor Joseph L. Graves Jr. (North Carolina A&T State University), was launched in Westminster yesterday. It offers a comprehensive and interdisciplinary roadmap to tackling ethnic inequities across healthcare.

At the event, lead editor, Zeshan Qureshi acknowledged how governments and institutions are dealing with complex anti-racism environments. However, this book provides evidence that ignoring any disparities leads to poorer health outcomes, and at the same time offers a roadmap for vital improvements.

Michelle West, MP for Sherwood Forest said “Equity is not an add-on, it is fundamental to safe care and if care is not equitable it is not safe. So, I want to thank everyone involved in bringing this book together. For your honesty, for your courage and for your determination to drive change, because progress only happens when we are willing to confront what is uncomfortable and real change only happens when we decide the status quo is no longer acceptable. This book helps us to do both”

The book will be published in June 2026 and has already secured endorsements from senior leaders across the UK medical establishment, including multiple medical royal college leaders, positioning it as an essential resource for clinical training and NHS policy development.

Combining historical, scientific, and societal perspectives, the book examines how race and ethnicity shape health outcomes, medical education, and clinical practice. It addresses persistent disparities, from maternal and infant mortality to mental health outcomes and workforce inequalities, while emphasising the complex, intersecting factors that drive them.

Crucially, Anti-Racist Medicine moves beyond analysis to action, setting out practical solutions across five key domains: leadership, education, workforce, clinical care, and research and technology.

Described by Professor Habib Naqvi MBE, CEO of the NHS Race and Health Observatory, as “a much-needed book” that not only highlights challenges but “outlines clear solutions,” and strongly recommended by Dr Lade Smith CBE, President Royal College of Psychiatrists, “so that we can offer care that is not only clinically sound but also attentive to the cultural contexts and lived experiences of the patients we serve” the book is a vital guide for healthcare professionals, educators, policymakers, and researchers committed to advancing equity in medicine.

Notes to Editors

Significant disparities persist across UK healthcare outcomes and workforce experiences for different ethnic and social groups. For example:

• Black infants have a mortality rate twice that of White British infants.

• Type 2 diabetes prevalence is two to six times higher among South Asian and Black populations compared with White populations.

• Black African and Caribbean individuals are six to nine times more likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia.

• Black individuals are also four times more likely to be detained under the Mental Health Act and be subjected to restrictive interventions in hospital settings.

• Within the UK medical workforce, 82% of NHS trusts report higher levels of harassment, bullying, or abuse directed at staff from minoritised ethnic backgrounds.

• Suicide rates among White Gypsy and Irish Traveller communities are elevated, particularly among women.

These figures highlight the complex and systemic nature of health inequities, shaped by intersecting social, structural, and institutional factors. Sources can be provided, together with the full Preface of the book, which is available to pre-order hereopens in new tab/window.

Pictures of the event are available on request.

關於 Elsevier

身為科學資訊與分析的全球領導者，Elsevier 協助研究人員與醫療照護專業人員推動科學發展，改善醫療成果，造福社會。我們以可信賴、以實證為基礎的內容和先進的 AI 數位技術為基礎，透過創新的解決方案促進洞察力和關鍵決策。

140 多年來，我們一直為研究和醫療保健界的工作提供支援。我們全球 9,500 名員工，包括 2,300 名技術人員，致力於支援研究人員、圖書館館長、學術領袖、資金提供者、政府、研發密集型公司、醫生、護士、未來醫療保健專業人員和教育工作者的重要工作。我們的 2,900 種科學期刊和經典參考工具書包括其領域中最重要的書籍，包括 Cell Press、The Lancet 和 Gray's Anatomy。 我們與愛思唯爾基金會 (Elsevier Foundationopens in new tab/window) 合作，與我們服務的社群攜手合作，在發展中國家和世界各地的科學、研究和醫療保健領域推動包容性和多樣性。 Elsevier 是 RELXopens in new tab/window 的一部分，RELXopens in new tab/window 是一家為專業和商業客戶提供以資訊為基礎的分析和決策工具的全球供應商。有關我們的工作、數位解決方案和內容的更多資訊，請造訪 www.elsevier.com 。