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Equality and diversity

To improve the health and wellbeing of local communities, NHS South East London (Bexley Business Support Unit) believes in promoting equality and valuing diversity by working together to continually improve and value everyone’s unique contribution.

The NHS in Bexley is committed to equality and diversity in all aspects of communications and engagement with patients and the public and the commissioning of healthcare.

The organisation is aware of its legal responsibilities and obligations in respect of eliminating unfair and unlawful discrimination, promoting equality of opportunity; ensuring good relations between all and in involving people and publishing the outcomes of its assessments. Recent legislation (the Equality Act 2010) now requires the NHS to conform to a Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED). As part of this, an Equality Delivery System (EDS) is being developed and includes indicative gradings. Local NHS organisations will be working with service users, local interest groups and staff to develop this in line with the requirements of the Act.

 

Legislation

The Equality Act 2010 brings together nine separate pieces of legislation into one single Act simplifying the law and strengthening it in important ways to help tackle discrimination and inequality.

The Equality Act became law in October 2010. It replaces previous legislation (such as the Race Relations Act 1976 and the Disability Discrimination Act 1995) and ensures consistency in what is needed to make the workplace a fair environment in which to work and to comply with the law.

Protected characteristics covered under Equality Act 2010:

• Age 
• Disability 
• Gender
• Gender reassignment 
• Race
• Religion or belief
• Sexual orientation
• Marriage and civil partnership
• Pregnancy and maternity

 

The three aims of the Public Sector Equality Duty are to:

1. eliminate discrimination, harassment and victimisation and other conduct prohibited under the Act
2. advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it
3. foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it.

 

How the NHS in Bexley is working towards these three aims:

The NHS in Bexley has concentrated on establishing and building relationships with identified protected groups.

The Bexley Business Support Unit (BSU) patient and community engagement officer (Philippa James) regularly attends community forum meetings and engages with local residents from protected groups to share information about local healthcare.

A patient council was established in 2011, which has a direct link to the Bexley Clinical Cabinet. Membership of the group includes representatives from the:

• Pensioners forum (age)
• Youth Parliament (age)
• Multi-faith forum (religion/faith/ethnicity)
• Learning disability groups (disability)
• Representatives from groups with long term conditions (disability)

The patient council enables the NHS in Bexley to communicate key health messages across the borough and ensures people from protected groups are engaged with and involved in the commissioning of health services. 

The NHS in Bexley is also actively engaged with many other groups including:

• Womens Institute (gender)
• Womens Refuge (gender)
• Roary club (gender)
• Haven social group (sexual orientation)
• Children's centres/nurseries (pregnancy and maternity)
• Travellers (race)

The NHS in Bexley also offers a translation service as well as translation, large print and easy read versions of literature to ensure local people can access the appropriate services and is currently working on a translation manual for GP practices.

Bexley's Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) programme ensures local people and protected groups are able to have their say in the way healthcare is commissioned. All engagement and local surveys are analysed and recommendations are noted in public documents or communicated to the Board.

Patient complaints and enquiries (via the Patient Advice and Liaison Service) are handled respectfully and patient details are anonymised to ensure patients are not discriminated against.

The NHS in Bexley is currently planning an event to consult on the EDS to ensure local patients, publics and stakeholders feel it reflects the organisations statutory obligations the needs of local people. The event will take place on Friday 9 March, time and venue to be confirmed.

 

NHS South East London (Bexley Business Support Unit) – equality delivery system indicative gradings

Download a copy NHS South East London (Bexley Business Support Unit) Equality Delivery System (EDS) gradings from the right hand menu, to see evidence of work towards meeting the Public Sector Equalities Duty. Initial review of the evidence suggests that NHS SE London (Bexley Business Support Unit) is a ‘developing organisation’. There is sound evidence of effective engagement but it is acknowledged that further work needs to be undertaken on data collection in relation to the nine protected characteristics.

 

Contacts

For any enquiries relating to equality and diversity in Bexley, please contact, Peter Buck, Assistant Director of Public Health (Equality and Diversity Lead).