1 / 11

University of Wolverhampton “Diversity in Action” Conference 16 th November 2007

University of Wolverhampton “Diversity in Action” Conference 16 th November 2007. Equalities & Human Rights. Presented by: Surinder Sharma National Director for Equality & Human Rights for the Department of Health and the NHS. Our Vision:.

odessa
Download Presentation

University of Wolverhampton “Diversity in Action” Conference 16 th November 2007

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. University of Wolverhampton“Diversity in Action” Conference16th November 2007

  2. Equalities & Human Rights Presented by: Surinder Sharma National Director for Equality & Human Rights for the Department of Health and the NHS

  3. Our Vision: “The NHS of the 21st Century must be responsive to the needs of different groups and individuals within society and challenge discrimination on the grounds of race, gender, age, ethnicity, religion, disability and sexuality. The NHS will treat patients as individuals, with respect for their dignity. Patients and citizens will have a greater say in the NHS, and the provision of services will be centred on patients’ needs” NHS Plan Core Principles

  4. What we do in EHRG: • Ensuring that all individuals, from whatever background, can access the NHS • Delivering services that are responsive to the needs of all our communities • Giving patients choice and reducing health inequalities • Targeting recruitment & development opportunities at people from different groups • Recruiting more staff, diversifying our skills base & better reflecting the communities we serve • Working to become a good “Corporate Citizen” by developing good practice in procurement, employment, capital developments etc - this will include development work with our suppliers

  5. The Picture: • We represent society at all levels because of the diversity of our workforce. • 30% of today’s medical students are from BME groups • 60% of today’s medical students are female • Only 2.7% of Chairs and 4.3% of non-executive Directors declared a disability in 2004. • Some progress but lots more to do!

  6. Some inequalities: • Black people are six times more likely to be detained under the Mental Health Act • Death rates from coronary heart disease among first generation South Asians are 50% higher than the England and Wales average. • 24% of deaf and hearing impaired people surveyed by RNID have missed an appointment due to poor communication • Men are three times more likely than women to commit suicide • 36% of gay men and 42% of lesbians recounted negative reactions from mental health professionals when being open about their sexual orientation.

  7. How to do it: • Leadership is crucial in ensuring that equality and diversity are mainstreamed throughout health and social care. - LREAP • Explicit obligation under law to promote equality. - RES/SES/DES/GED • Personal objectives relating to Equality and Human Rights for all staff.

  8. Research and data: Data collection is crucial to highlight inequalities • Making the case for equality, and monitoring progress in driving change. • Must refer to users, patients & staff • Must go beyond just age, gender and ethnic group, eg into Sexual Orientation, Religion & Belief, disability and even language to give us the real picture. • We have published guidance on ethnic monitoring

  9. Mainstreaming Policy: • Equality Impact Assessments – compulsory to an ensure that our functions and policies meet the needs of all our users. • Single Equality Scheme Guidance to assist NHS organisations, who have a duty to comply with the Race, Disability and Gender Duties; and in anticipation of new duties in relation to age, religion and belief and sexual orientation. • ‘Human Rights In Healthcare – A Framework For Local Action’ assists organisations across the NHS use a human rights based approach to improve the way services are delivered. • Our national programmes that illustrate the principles of equality and human rights in practice at grassroots level: • Pacesetters • Race for Health • Learning Site Project for Single Equality Schemes • Delivering Race Equality in Mental Health Care • Gypsies and Travellers

  10. The Business Case: Our amazing diversity adds value to UK PLC and is a real advantage in the global environment. The NHS and DH can capitalise on that advantage to create a world-class service which is personalised and patient led. We can use this advantage to address health inequalities: - Reseach - Consultation - Good practice

  11. Why is this important: - Moral Case - Social Case - Business Case - Legal Obligations – more so in public sector - If we don’t follow these procedures, how can we be sure that our current policies are promoting equality, and are not discriminating against certain groups?

More Related