The trust is one of the most diverse NHS trusts in London - more than half of its staff come from ethnic minority backgrounds, coming from 146 different countries.

However, in last year's staff survey, 24% said they had experienced discrimination because of their ethnic background.

The charter is a list of pledges that demonstrate a commitment to tackling racism in the workplace through clear action and support for staff, to be implemented within 12 months of signing.

This work sits alongside the trust's #NoAbuseNoExcuse campaign, which enforces a zero-tolerance approach to abuse of staff. It uses tools such as red cards where appropriate, to help staff respond consistently to make sure any abusive behaviour is not tolerated.

Over the past three years, more than 1,000 staff have completed Active Bystander training to help them safely challenge inappropriate behaviour including racism.

The trust is also a pilot for the Race Ethnicity Maturity Index (REMI), which supports structured conversations about staff experience in clinical areas.

Chief executive, Matthew Trainer, said: ‘What's included in this charter is a recognition that our leaders see this as an issue that needs to be taken very seriously for the wellbeing of our staff and for our effective function as a hospital.

‘We'll follow that through by taking actions that allow us to demonstrate through the things that we do that we take anti-racism seriously and we'll ensure the actions we're taking are having a measurable impact.'

Margaret Mullane, MP for Dagenham and Rainham, said: ‘I think this sends a strong statement to all your staff, that you've listened, you're aware of it and working with them.

‘It isn't just a launch and a piece of paper, it's an action and you all seem very engaged which I think is fantastic.'