The PCREF community event, held on 01 October 2026, marked the start of Black History Month and focused on the theme “Honouring Our Communities.” The event, hosted at the St Thomas Centre in Ardwick Green, Manchester, brought together patients, partners, teams, and community members to discuss and act on improving mental health services for racialised communities.
The Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework (PCREF), NHS England’s anti-racism framework for mental health care, provides a structure for services to become fairer, more inclusive, and safer. The event's theme was Implementation & Partnership, focusing on turning commitments from the April 2026 event into tangible change, as outlined in the published PCREF Plan for 2026-2029.
Highlights from the day emphasised the importance of lived experience, stating that "People with lived experience are not simply there to share their stories. They bring knowledge, insight and expertise that should be central to how mental health services are designed and delivered using PCREF".
A Care Group presenter noted the community's desire for "meaningful involvement in shaping services, greater transparency and accountability and tangible improvements in access, experience and outcomes for people from racialised communities." Attendees connected with local charities and VCFSE organisations across Greater Manchester to explore future partnerships.
The PCREF Plan for 2026-2029 was shaped through co-production with patients, carers, workforce, and community partners. The plan commits to becoming an anti-racist organisation, strengthening leadership accountability for race equity, ensuring equitable and co-produced services, building trust, and improving health outcomes for racially marginalised communities.
In parallel, the Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership (GM ICP) has launched the second phase of its anti-racism campaign, "No Space for Racism in Health and Care." This initiative highlights the impact of racism on health and care staff, with around 1 in 4 reporting experiencing racism at work in the past year.
Claudette Elliot, Chair of Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust and co-chair of the GM Health and Care Anti-Racism Programme Board, encouraged active bystandesship, stating, “Small actions can make a difference: if it is safe, you could speak up, check in with the person affected, record what happened where appropriate, report it and offer support afterwards.” The campaign reinforces that racism has no place in health and care.
