Inclusion and Cohesion

Equality Objectives Equality Impact Assessment NHS Equality Delivery System (EDS) Useful links and documents

Inclusion and Cohesion matters to NHS Bedfordshire and NHS Luton. We recognise that understanding how and where health services are effectively deployed and taking account of the ‘differences’ or protected characteristics found amongst us all, can have a profound impact on the quality and health and well being outcomes across the diverse communities we serve.

The Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Equality Duty, has raised the bar for public bodies in England and Wales including the NHS, with its bespoke Equality Delivery System (EDS). The purpose of the EDS is to drive up equality performance and embed equality into mainstream NHS business.

The information below provides an overview of what we are doing to assist NHS service commissioners and providers across Bedfordshire and Luton in meeting the challenges of inequalities, improved service outcomes and effective engagement as the NHS meets the economic, quality and re-configuration challenges of the future.

Legislation

Public Sector Equality Duty

NHS Bedfordshire Equality Assurance Report January 2012

Equality Objectives

The NHS Bedfordshire Equality Objectives 2012 / 2013 can be viewed here.

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.

NHS Equality Delivery System (EDS)

What is the NHS Equality Delivery System Equality Delivery System - How does it work? Implementing the EDS across Bedfordshire Bedfordshire – EDS Implementation Group Clinical Commissioning Groups

What is the NHS Equality Delivery System

The Equality Delivery System (EDS) has been developed to assist NHS organisations carrying out ‘public functions’ as part of their discharging of their duties under the Equality Act 2010.

The Department of Health’s stated view is that under the reforms in the Health and Social Care Bill, the provision of commissioned NHS services will amount to functions of a public nature. The duties referred to include the need to publish workforce and service user equality data and evidence of steps taken to comply with the general duties of eliminating discrimination, harassment and victimisation, advance equality, and foster good relations between people. Failure to fulfil the duties could result in independent action by the Equality and Human Rights Commission, Regulators and/or the public at large.

The EDS has been developed by the Equality and Diversity Council which is chaired by the CEO of the NHS and reports to the Management Board of the NHS. It has been formally launched alongside the launch of the NHS Commissioning Board. Key requirements of the system in the short term are proposed to include the local review of performance against these duties and short a statement of objectives for 2012/13 by March 2012 together with a methodology for measuring performance against those objectives from April 2012.

Equality Delivery System - How does it work?

At the heart of the Equality Delivery System is the new requirement for commissioners and providers to collaboratively identify and agree a set of equality priorities or objectives with local interest or community interests groups. These objectives will be annually reviewed in terms of performance, outcomes and benefits.

A crucial development will be that the Community Interests Groups should reflect the makeup of the service users across protected characteristics (under the Equality Act 2010 includes: gender, disability, ethnicity, age, religion and belief, sexual orientation, transgender, maternity and paternity) who will help assess performance on the current and future status of identified outcomes in the form of RAGP (Red, Amber, Green and Purple) ratings. These agreed ratings will be published on commissioner or provider websites for public awareness. The Care Quality Commission and Monitor (Foundation Trust’s regulatory body) intend considering performance and ratings, as part of their overarching assessment processes.

The set of equality objectives must be agreed and published by NHS providers by 6 April 2012.

The EDS is likely to have a profound impact on both commissioners and providers alike as the NHS re-configures itself. NHS Luton and NHS Bedfordshire will therefore work closely with all organisations and staff to support the timely and effective implementation of the Equality Delivery System.

Implementing the EDS across Bedfordshire

The East of England Strategic Health Authority has established a steering group to oversee the development of the plans and the resources necessary to comply with the duties. NHS Trusts and PCT clusters are required to do this and both NHS Bedfordshire Luton and NHS Luton implementation groups (EDS-IG) have been established. Both are led by NHS Bedfordshire and NHS Luton equality and diversity leads and has representation from the main providers, including local authorities.

Bedfordshire – EDS Implementation Group

Whilst EDS implementation in NHS Bedfordshire is now underway after a delayed start, it is anticipated that much of the learning from Luton’s CCG and the Luton EDS Implementation Group (IG) will be shared with NHS Bedfordshire EDS-IG going forward to support their EDS commitments and effective implementation. However, it is also recognised that the demographic makeup, local authority structure and geographical span is different across NHS Bedfordshire and this is reflected in the approach that is now being undertaken by the Bedfordshire EDS-IG partners (Bedford Hospital, East of England Ambulance service, South Essex Partnership Trust (SEPT) Bedford Council and Central Bedfordshire Local Authorities) to move this forward.

Clinical Commissioning Groups

While the focus of the EDS is on Trusts and commissioners given their responsibilities from the outset, Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) will need to be involved because they are likely to have the public duty from April 2013.

There are several reasons why it is in the interests of CCGs to be involved from the beginning, in addition to preparing for the legal duties as a commissioner. Firstly, the EDS will have high profile with the forthcoming NHS Commissioning Board and it will also feature in the Authorisation process. Secondly, for GPs as providers, it is likely that the Care Quality Commission will require evidence of compliance from those organisations it registers and monitors.

There are also local, community reasons for putting time and effort into these issues. CCGs need to clearly understand the benefits of partnership working with other organisations, particularly the local authority where Public Health responsibility will now be based. Collaborative working with the PCT and community groups to improve the health and wellbeing of local people across Bedfordshire will be critical. Therefore a strong commitment to this work will drive the development of those relationships and send a strong message to the public about the drive, motivation and values of their CCG’s.

Bedfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group
Equality Delivery System implementation in Bedfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is now underway after a delayed start. It is anticipated that much of the learning and some expertise from Luton’s EDS CCG’s experience will be shared with NHS Bedfordshire going forward, in support of their commitments and effective EDS implementation.