Equality and diversity
Find out about our equality and diversity arrangements.
1. Introduction
- Equality is about fairness – bias free, consistent treatment that avoids discrimination.
- Diversity is about dignity – recognising, respecting and responding to each person’s individuality and choice.
- Human Rights is about standards – the minimum standards necessary for dealing generally with all persons (ie citizens) in a society or dealing specifically with all persons (ie patients) needing health care.
Public authorities, as organisations that provide public services, must show how they abide by equality and human rights laws.
This section contains statutory information that NHS Birmingham East and North is legally required to publish under equality law.
2. Equality and Human Rights Schemes (E and HRS)
Introduction: public authorities such as NHS Birmingham East and North are required to produce equality and human rights schemes. These are action plans setting out how a public authority intends to comply with equality and human rights duties over a three year period.
NHS Birmingham East and North has produced equality and human rights schemes on:
These documents are available on request in different language formats.
3. Equality Impact Assessments (EIAs)
Public authorities such as NHS Birmingham East and North are required to assess the effects of their current or intended functions (ie strategies, policies, services etc) to ensure these reflect equality and human rights standards.
In October 2008 NHS Birmingham East and North revised its framework for completing EIAs. EIA forms should be requested directly from the E&D Lead whose contact details are at the bottom of this page.
NHS Birmingham East and North will also produce annual EIA outcomes reports.
4. Workforce Diversity Monitoring
Public authorities such as NHS Birmingham East and North are required to publish workforce information on area including recruitment, training etc.
NHS Birmingham East and North is keen to have a workforce that represents the people it serves so that it can be as responsive as possible. Monitoring workforce data will help to identify where NHS Birmingham East and North needs to focus efforts in attracting people to work for us.
NHS Birmingham East and North workforce data can be viewed at:
Click here to view the Equality Monitoring Data 2012 report.
5. Pacesetters
The Pacesetters programme is a partnership between local communities who experience health inequalities, the National Health Service (NHS) and the Department of Health (DH). The Equality and Human Right Group (EHRG) of DH is working on the programme with Strategic Health Authorities (SHAs) across the UK.
The aim of the programme is to reduce health inequalities for patients and service users, as well as creating working environments that are fair and free of discrimination.
NHS Birmingham East and North has joined the second wave of Pacesetters and it is hoped those joining the programme will build on the success of Wave 1, by reducing inequalities arising from discrimination on account of age, disability, ethnicity, gender, relation, and sexual orientation and gender identity.
For further details contact Pacesetters Project Manager or key contacts below.
6. ‘Race’ for Health
This is the government’s action plan for achieving equality and tackling discrimination in mental health services in England for all people of Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) status, including those of Irish or Mediterranean origin and East European migrants.
It was set up in 2005 with the aim of working towards service improvements for minority ethnic communities, and to try to bring about better outcomes once they have been through mental health services.
Three key elements of service reform are:
- More appropriate and responsive services – tailoring services more effectively for the needs of specific groups, such as older people, asylum seekers, and children
- Engaging communities in planning services, supported by 500 new community development workers
- Better information, through improved monitoring of ethnicity, including a new regular census of mental health patients.
NHS Birmingham East and North Works closely with NHS Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Foundation Trust to achieve the aims of this action plan.
For further details contact NHS Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Foundation Trust
7. Useful equality, diversity and human rights links
- Equality and Human Rights Commission
- Department of Health
- Census
- Stonewall Sexuality
- Age Concern
- www.bbc.co.uk/religion
- www.religiouswebsites.co.uk
- Birmingham Council of Faiths
- Asian Health Agency
- Birmingham Race Action Partnership
- Black and Minority Ethnic Mental Health Network
- Chinese Mental Health Association
- Gypsy Traveller
- Irish Welfare and Information Centre Birmingham
- Jewish Association for the Mentally Ill
- Muslim Health Network
- Race Equality West Midlands
- www.uk250.co.uk/Disability
- Fawcett Society
- Gender Trust
- Men’s Health Forum
Useful NHS Birmingham East and North links
8. Key contacts
1. Clare Thompson
Equality & Diversity Lead
Tel: 0121 380 9075
Email: clare.thompson@benpct.nhs.uk
