Equality and Diversity

Single Equality Scheme Equality Impact Assessment

Single Equality Scheme

NHS Bedfordshire is committed to equality and diversity in the workplace, provider services and commissioning. To strengthen our commitment to the principles of Equality and Diversity, we have prepared in partnership with our staff and public, a Single Equality Scheme. The Single Equality Scheme complements and contributes towards our efforts to be a top class commissioner working through a network of providers to deliver world class health services to the people of Bedfordshire.

The Single Equality Scheme (SES) sets out NHS Bedfordshire’s approach to eliminating discrimination and promoting equality and diversity. It provides a framework which brings together the six equality strands (race, disability, gender, age, religion or belief and sexual orientation), as well as providing information and guidance on human rights.

We earlier prepared three equality schemes (race, disability and gender) in partnership with local communities, service users and staff and their views were taken into account when compiling the action plans. The actions from these schemes are now incorporated in the SES action plan.

The consultation process for the Single Equality Scheme is now complete. The feedback from staff consultation and the focus group discussions with community groups has now been incorporated in scheme’s action plan.

Our main focus in the future will be to implement the SES action plan and in particular, to help staff in conducting equality impact assessments. We, however, regard equality and diversity as an ongoing process of learning and improvement. We will, therefore, consult and involve staff and communities to identify emerging needs and issues, and review the SES accordingly. The SES may also need to be reviewed in light of the forthcoming (2009) Single Equality Bill. We will also learn from best practices of other organisations and develop specific cases within the organisation which we can celebrate and promote.

To view the Single Equality Scheme, please go to: Single Equality Scheme Summary [Adobe Acrobat, 1.6Mb]

Please click on the link for the Department of Health Single Equality Scheme.

Equality Impact Assessments

What is an equality impact assessment (EIA)?

All PCTs have a legal requirement to carry out impact assessment and to publish the results. An EIA is a systematic and thorough consideration of how service or policy is affecting, or likely to affect, people from different backgrounds.

It looks at how a service or policy helps us to promote equality in the provision and delivery of services and employment.

Bedfordshire PCT has published a programme for carrying out equality impact assessments. We have also incorporated EIA as part of our Policy Guidelines framework. This means that EIA will be undertaken for any new or revised policy before being presented to the Board for approval.

EIA and our health inequalities audit will help the PCT to identify local health needs and gaps in health care provision. This will help us to promote equality within our organisation and to plan, commission and deliver services which contribute to reducing health inequalities.