Training on Black Lives Matter (BLM) is reportedly being offered to NHS England staff as part of a series of new diversity courses that have sparked fury from Government insiders and taxpayers’ groups.
Training covering ‘white privilege’, ‘unconscious bias’ and ‘authentic allyship’ have reportedly been put up on NHS People website – an online learning portal for the health service’s staff.
According to The Telegraph, one of the internal courses being offered is on the history, guiding principals and messages of Black Lives Matter.
Though the training is primarily about the wider BLM movement, according to the Telegraph the course contains a link to an interview with one of the founders of the controversial Black Lives Matter group.
One of the group’s founders, Patrisse Cullors – who has since quit – previously described herself and fellow co-founder Alicia Garza as ‘trained Marxists’.
The group has also described one of its key objectives as being to ‘defund the police’.
The news has sparked fury from taxpayers’ groups, who have accused the NHS of ‘wasting money on woke causes’.
Meanwhile, a Government insider told the Telegraph that the course ‘failed to mention’ all the BLM group’s objectives and said NHS staff were being ‘indoctrinated with deadly doses of dodgy diversity’.
It comes just weeks after Health Secretary Sajid Javid told MPs he would be ‘watchful for any waste or wokery’ from the NHS.
Training on Black Lives Matter (pictured: A Black Lives Matter sign is held up at a protest in London last year) is being offered to NHS England staff as part of a series of new diversity courses
It comes just weeks after Health Secretary Sajid Javid (pictured) told MPs he would be ‘watchful for any waste or wokery’ from the NHS
In the course, seen by the Telegraph, BLM is reportedly described as a ‘healing’ movement that works to ‘eradicate white supremacy’.
The course reportedly describes BLM as having a ‘prime focus to expose and challenge anti-blackness in its multiple manifestations’.
Meanwhile, NHS staff are reportedly being urged to look at NHS policies through a ‘BLM lens’ and that this would be ‘useful’ in ‘fueling better racial equity in the health service’.
According to the Telegraph, the training says: ‘BLM’s philosophy would encourage the NHS to critically evaluate its organisations and practices to address the systemic barriers which have retained and relegated BME nurses to the lower tiers of the nursing hierarchy for decades.’
However, while the sessions is said to focus on the BLM movement, which aims to tackle racial inequality, it also contains mention of the Black Lives Matter group, whose views have proved controversial.
Co-founder of the US BLM group, Ms Cullours, described herself and fellow co-founder Ms Garza, as ‘trained Marxists’ in a 2015 interview.
She said: ‘We do have an ideological frame. Myself and Alicia, in particular, are trained organizers; we are trained Marxists.
‘We are superversed on, sort of, ideological theories. And I think what we really try to do is build a movement that could be utilized by many, many Black folks.’
Co-founder of the US BLM group, Ms Cullours, described herself and fellow co-founder Alicia Garza, as ‘trained Marxists’ in a 2015 interview
She resigned earlier in May this year as executive director of the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation – a role she had held for nearly six years – amid controversy over her property portfolio.
The 37-year-old activist told The Associated Press that she is leaving to focus on other projects, including the upcoming release of her second book and a multi-year TV development deal with Warner Bros.
Her departure came after it was revealed last month that she has amassed a $3million (£2.1million) property portfolio, despite describing herself as ‘trained Marxist’.
The UK Black Lives Matter group (UKBLM) – which organised a number of BLM marches last year and raised more than £1.2million through crowdfunding – denies that it is a ‘Marxist organisation’.
Instead, it describes itself as ‘anti-capitalist’ and says it has ‘Marxist members’.
However many of those who went on BLM marches last year – and who have shown support for the movement since – say they are backing the Black Lives Matter movement and its objectives rather than the group.
Last month it was reported that The Queen and the royal family are supporters of the Black Lives Matter movement, according to one of the monarch’s representatives.
A Government insider reportedly told the Telegraph that while the NHS BLM course mentions the BLM group, that it ‘fails to mention’ the organisation’s more contentious beliefs.
Meanwhile, the UK Black Lives Matter group – UKBLM – denies that it is a ‘Marxist organisation’. Instead, it describes itself as ‘anti-capitalist’ and says it has ‘Marxist members’
Alongside the BLM course, there are also reported to be courses ‘what is white privilege’ and ‘the importance of understanding your personal privilege’.
According to the Telegraph, in another of the four NHS People diversity courses, medics are warned: ‘You may lose ‘friends’ as you commit to anti-racist allyship’.
The course reportedly adds: ‘To become authentic allies who will be in the struggle for the long haul, white people will need to deliberately and honestly work on understanding white culture and white privilege.’
The courses have been criticised by the Taxpayers’ Alliance, who told the Telegraph: ‘Taxpayers expect their money to be focused on improving frontline NHS services, not wasted on woke causes.’
A Whitehall source also reportedly told the Telegraph: ‘Managers, nurses and doctors are being indoctrinated with deadly doses of dodgy diversity and pernicious propaganda — all at the taxpayers’ expense.’
It comes after Mr Javid promised earlier this month he would be ‘watchful for any waste’ of the £12 billion a year tax revenue on the NHS.
MailOnline has contacted the NHS for comment.