Equality and diversity

Equality and Diversity are at the heart of current NHS strategy, with the Government’s equality agenda centring on:

 

• Ensuring that public services are fully accessible and responsive to the diverse needs of all groups and communities served
• Public sector bodies working proactively and in partnership to promote equality, eliminate discrimination and build cohesive communities
• Public sector leadership in implementing the Government’s programme, extending legislative frameworks for equal treatment, anti discrimination and equal rights
• Promoting equality and diversity in public sector employment
• Achieving its diversity and equality goals within the Civil Service Reform programme

 

The NHS Plan takes this further and commits to creating an organisation which can demonstrate that it is investing in training and development, tackling discrimination and harassment, improving diversity and improving the working lives of staff in a way that contributes directly to better patient care.

 

The Equality Act 2006, makes provision for the establishment of the Commission for Equality and Human Rights. This new body, which will bring together: 

 

• Commission for Racial Equality
• Disability Rights Commission 
• Equal Opportunities Commission

In addition to enforcing existing requirements relating to Race Equality, Sex Discrimination, Disabled Rights and Age Discrimination, will be responsible for ensuring the eliminating of discrimination on the grounds of religion, sexual orientation.

Within the Trust significant effort is being invested to build on existing good practice to ensure that these requirements can be met.