Dr Yetunde Dairo, Associate Professor of Physiotherapy at Buckinghamshire New University, shares insights from co-creating racial inclusivity resources in healthcare education and reflects on their potential to support a diverse future workforce.

Across healthcare education, I see the same challenge repeated: students from racially minoritised backgrounds face inequities in attainment and experience. Many report microaggressions, exclusion, and barriers to belonging, particularly during clinical placements. These experiences don’t just affect individuals; they shape who succeeds in our professions, and ultimately the diversity of our workforce.

Over the past five years, colleagues and I from three other UK universities have been working with students and practice educators to address these issues. Together, we co-created a racial inclusivity training resource for practice educators. What makes this resource distinct is not only its focus but also its process.

We placed co-creation at the heart of the project. Students and educators from racially minoritised backgrounds were equal partners in workshops, empathy mapping, and prototyping. Their lived experiences informed the resource at every stage, making it grounded, relevant, and practical.

The training uses video vignettes and discussion materials to help educators:

• Recognise microaggressions and understand their impact
• Build confidence to act as allies
• Reflect on their role in fostering inclusive learning environments

Pilot evaluations were encouraging. Participants reported greater awareness and stronger confidence to intervene when discrimination occurred.

This project reinforced for me that co-creation is transformative. It creates genuine partnership, safe spaces for dialogue, and practical resources that can be sustained. While the work began in physiotherapy, the approach and lessons are relevant across all healthcare professions.

For real change, we must:

• Acknowledge inequities openly
• Embed co-creation into curriculum and resource design
• Equip educators with tools for allyship
• Commit to long-term, systemic change

I am proud that our Racial Inclusivity Resources will be showcased as part of the Council of Deans UK Equity Month in November. These tools offer practical ways to embed inclusivity and support the diverse workforce our healthcare system urgently needs.