The UK physician workforce: one-third at increased risk of death from COVID-19

21% of NHS staff are from Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds yet account for a disproportionately high number of medical-staff deaths from COVID-19. Using data from the published OpenSAFELY Collaborative, we analysed consultant physicians to determine those at increased risk of COVI...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Clinical medicine (London, England) England), 2021-03, Vol.21 (2), p.e161-e165
Main Authors: Verma, Ajay M, Goddard, Andrew F, O’Donoghue, Donal, Newbery, Nina, Phillips, Christopher, Trudgill, Nigel
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Age
BAME
Cardiology
Collaboration
Comorbidity
Consultants
Coronaviruses
COVID-19
death
Diabetes
Endocrinology
Ethnicity
Females
Gastroenterology
Gender
Health care
Hematology
Hepatology
Males
Minority & ethnic groups
Neurology
Original Research
physicians
Rheumatology
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
Workforce
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Summary:21% of NHS staff are from Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds yet account for a disproportionately high number of medical-staff deaths from COVID-19. Using data from the published OpenSAFELY Collaborative, we analysed consultant physicians to determine those at increased risk of COVID-19 related death. Data from 13,500 consultant physicians collected by the Royal College of Physicians were analysed to determine those at an increased risk of death from COVID-19, assuming no comorbidities. The data reveal a picture in which a third of consultant physicians have a hazard ratio (HR) >1 for dying from COVID-19; one in five have HR >2; one in 11, HR >3; and one in 40, HR >4. Of concern are the risks to male physicians aged ≥60 with HR >3.8. Sub-specialties including cardiology, endocrine and diabetes, gastroenterology, haematology, neurology and rheumatology have a greater risk profile due to high proportion of men, physicians of older age, and proportion of BAME individuals. A third of consultant physicians have an increased risk of a COVID-19-related death, and one in five have a higher relative risk (HR >2). The risk is mainly driven by age, gender, and ethnicity, the risk is highest in male consultant physicians over 60, especially from BAME backgrounds.
ISSN:1470-2118
1473-4893
DOI:10.7861/clinmed.2020-0756