She added: “The only way that we can achieve this is to engage with local community leaders and get the word out there about the work we’re doing.”
According to the NHS Humber Health Partnership, only about one in every eight patients registered with the research team is known to be from a BAME background.
However, they have a higher chance of developing some of the conditions treated by the unit, such as type 2 diabetes, at a younger age, the partnership said.
Dr Sajida Ita, from Hull, was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes 18 years ago, and she said it had been a struggle trying different drugs.
“They all have their benefits but equally they all have their side-effects,” she said.