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Equality and Diversity

ABOUT

We know that many people experience discrimination through social exclusion and harassment because of their Age, Disability, Gender Reassignment, Pregnancy and Maternity, Race, Religion and Belief, Sex and Sexual Orientation. We recognise our responsibility to challenge and change this to achieve the highest standards in equality. We are committed to being a proactive agent for change and that is why we see equality and diversity at the heart of everything we do.

By investing in equality and diversity NHS Lanarkshire aims to improve services and patient care. We want to:

  • Ensure that our staff and service users are in a safe, inclusive and accessible environment
  • Ensure that our services are accessible to all communities across Lanarkshire
  • Promote health and well-being for all people
  • Attract, train, promote and support a workforce that is diverse and representative of general society

Visit our page BSL page for information about A Shared BSL Plan for Lanarkshire: The BSL National Plan 2017 – 2023.

Equality Outcomes

The Equality Act 2010 stipulates that all public bodies including Health Boards across NHS Scotland are required to produce and deliver a set of equality outcomes to further one or more of the three needs of the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED/also known as General Duty). 

Equality outcomes are results intended to achieve specific and identifiable improvements in people’s life chances. NHS Lanarkshire has developed a set of outcomes which are described in the report below:

Equality Mainstreaming report
NHS Lanarkshire’s Equality Mainstreaming report outlines how we are working to ensure equalities are mainstreamed into the functions and activities of our organisation and details our commitment to meeting the general and specific duties set out under the Equality Act 2010.

Equal Pay Statement

NHS Lanarkshire is committed to the principles of equality of opportunity in employment and believes that staff should receive equal pay for the same or broadly similar work, or work rated as equivalent and for work of equal value, regardless of their age, disability, ethnicity or race, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy, political beliefs, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

Workforce Information
This report profiles the workforce based on protected characteristics and the initial equality monitoring of this data. It also highlights areas of further planned investigation as a result of this initial monitoring.

Equality and Diversity Impact Assessments

Like all public sector organisations, NHS Lanarkshire is required to assess the impact of all its policies, services and functions on equality. This means that we must try to predict what will happen to different groups of people affected by our work, and then make changes to our plans so that any possibility of a negative impact is reduced or eliminated.

To do this, NHS Lanarkshire uses a procedure called ’Equality and Diversity Impact Assessment’ Tool (EDIA) on all of its new and existing policies, strategies and services.
Equality and Diversity Impact Assessment tool looks at what might happen to the following groups of people if a policy or plan is implemented:

  • Older people, children and young people
  • Women, men and transgender people (includes issues relating to pregnancy and maternity)
  • Disabled people (includes physical disability, learning disability, sensory impairment, long term medical conditions, mental health problems)
  • Minority ethnic people (includes Gypsy Travellers, non-English speakers)
  • Refugees & asylum seekers
  • People with different religions or beliefs
  • Lesbian, gay, bisexual and heterosexual people
  • People who are unmarried, married or in a civil partnership
  • People living in poverty, or people of low income
  • People in different social classes
  • Homeless people
  • People involved in the criminal justice system
  • People with low literacy/numeracy
  • People in remote, rural and/or island locations
  • Carers
  • Staff (including people with different work patterns e.g. part/full time, short term, job share, seasonal)

A good Standard Impact Assessment has to focus on key questions and actions is much more likely to achieve a worthwhile assessment and lead to identifying realistic actions. We also conduct Health Impact Assessments on proposals that are likely to have a wider impact on health

Completing an Equality  and Diversity Impact Assessment will helps to:

  • Develop policies that focus on positive outcomes and solutions
  • Identify what is working well, in addition to what needs improving
  • Encourage greater openness and involvement in policy making and service delivery
  • Develop good practice
  • Demonstrate Leadership on equality of service delivery
  • Help to avoid claims of unlawful discrimination

 

If you would like information about completed Equality and Diversity Impact Assessments, please contact:

Hina Sheikh
Equality and Diversity Manager

Tel: 01698 754294
Email: hina.sheikh@lanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk

NHS Lanarkshire
Law House
Airdrie Road
Carluke
ML8 5ER

LGBT Health & Wellbeing

LGBT Helpline Scotland

Confidential information and emotional support for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and their families, friends and supporters across Scotland.

Open every Tuesday and Wednesday from 12-9pm

Tel: 0300 123 2523

Calls charged at local rates, no extra charges

Email support: helpline@lgbthealth.org.uk

For further information visit: www.lgbthealth.org.uk/helpline

CONTACT

Hina Sheikh
Equality and Diversity Manager

Tel: 01698 754294
Email: hina.sheikh@lanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk

NHS Lanarkshire
Law House
Airdrie Road
Carluke
ML8 5ER

Your Feedback - comments, concerns and complaints

NHS Lanarkshire is committed to improving the service it provides to patients and their families. We therefore want to hear from you about your experience. If you would like to tell us about this please visit our feedback page.

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