Equality & Diversity
What is equality and diversity?
Gloucestershire’s rich history is reflected in the diversity of the population of 612,000 that Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is proud to serve.
Equality and diversity in our hospitals is about valuing every patient as a unique individual. It means recognising that some people will need different treatment to achieve a fair outcome. This is why we're committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them.
Our staff can expect to be treated with decency, dignity and respect, employed by an organisation with no tolerance for harassment, bullying or discrimination. We commit to encouraging staff to contribute to a culture which values the unique identity of our patients and each other.
We know that involving our diverse and varied communities when designing our services for the future is essential if we are to make sure the right care and support is available when and where it is needed. We provide care for all sections of the community, regardless of race, ethnicity, creed, gender, age, physical or sensory impairment, sexual orientation or cultural background.
The Equality Act 2010 and the NHS Equality Delivery System [EDS] provide us with a challenge and opportunity to look again at the design and delivery of our services to make sure they are equal and appropriate to the people we serve. We know that we have some way to go in rising to these challenges.
You can read more about what we have been doing to improve by reading about the work of the Equality Committee in the papers below and by looking at our Board Papers.
NEW! Latest reports published March 2013
We welcome your feedback on any aspects of these reports. Please send your comments to equality@glos.nhs.uk
If you require printed copies or large print versions, please let us know.
What have we been doing?
Some of the things we have been doing to help us embed aspects of equality and diversity in the services we deliver include:
- giving absolute commitment at Trust Board to embedding of all aspects of equality and diversity relevant to the services we deliver
- revitalising our Equality Committee with an extended membership and a focus on progressing the equalities agenda
- committing to the provisions of the Equality Act 2010, ensuring compliance and adopting the NHS framework for equality delivery, i.e. the Equality Delivery System
- assessing our current performance against the outcomes set out in the Equality Delivery System based on the data available to us in this first year of assessment
- agreeing our equalities objectives for 2012-2013
- beginning to set out a programme of work relevant to 2012/13 and beyond.
Read the latest update to our work programme (November 2012)
Equality Committee
Find out more about the work taking place in the Trust by reading our latest meeting minutes:
Useful documents
Equality Compliance Report 2011
Equality Grading Assessment
Equality Objectives 2012/13
An Easy Read document about the EDS is available, words by MENCAP
Useful links
Equality and Human Rights Commission
Department of Health - Equality and Diversity