This step came as the NHS Race & Health Observatory hosted an event in London aimed at over 150 board level, senior NHS leaders, Government and health and care stakeholders, to address the long-standing issue of racism and race inequalities in the workplace.

The signees so far include: the Care Quality Commission; General Medical Council; Nursing and Midwifery Council; Health and Care Professions Council; Social Work England; General Optical Council; General Pharmaceutical Council; General Chiropractic Council; and the General Osteopathic Council.

The principles agreed by the regulators build on the independent NHS Race and Health Observatory's Seven Principles of Anti-Racism and commitments made following a regulatory roundtable held last year.

The nine principles are: naming racism; valuing lived experience; showing leadership; collaborative working; data and insight development; empowering approaches; using our powers effectively; influencing progress together; and transparency and accountability.

Professor Habib Naqvi, chief executive of the NHS Race and Health Observatory, said: ‘This announcement marks a key landmark step towards regulating for workforce race equality across our healthcare system. True equality requires more than words; it requires intentional action. By strengthening their collective commitment to race equality, healthcare regulatory bodies are actively dismantling barriers and ensuring that our healthcare system is a place where talent thrives regardless of background. This is a crucial step in the journey to build a truly inclusive, high-performing culture for everyone, and we look forward to working with the regulatory bodies as they progress on this journey.'