Conclusions Our findings highlight disparities in HCWs’ redeployment experiences by ethnicity, migration, and job role which are potentially related to structural inequities in healthcare. For future emergencies, redeployment should be contingent upon risk assessments, accompanied by training and supervision tailored to individual HCWs’ experience and skillset.

What is already known on this topic:

Ethnic minority healthcare workers (HCWs) were at an elevated risk of infection during COVID-19 due to occupational and socio-demographic factors. The strain on healthcare systems during the pandemic resulted in acute staffing shortages, prompting redeployment of HCWs to areas outside their professional training. However, recent research suggests inconsistent implementation of redeployment across ethnic groups, revealing structural disparities within the healthcare system.

What this study adds:

Our study, the largest of its kind, found no ethnic differences in the process of redeployment itself, but disparities emerged in the experiences of redeployment. Asian HCWs reported less likelihood of receiving training, while Black HCWs reported more likelihood of receiving supervision compared to their White counterparts. Ethnic minority HCWs were also more likely to report interaction with COVID-19 patients than their White colleagues. While there were no ethnic differences in the process of redeployment, occupational and migration differences reveal that those in nursing and midwifery roles (in comparison to medical roles), as well as migrant HCWs on the AfC payscale (in comparison to those born in the UK), were more likely to report being redeployed.

How this study might affect research, practice or policy:

This UK-wide study highlights inconsistencies in the redeployment process, training, supervision, and patient interactions based on occupation, ethnicity and migration status. Further investigation, incorporating qualitative and human resources data, is crucial to understand the complexities and address potential structural discrimination within the NHS. For future practice, redeployment should align with risk assessments and include training and supervision tailored to HCWs’ experience and skillset.