Equality, diversity and human rights
The Healthcare Commission is committed to furthering equality, diversity and human rights and reducing inequalities in health.
This commitment is set out clearly in our strategic goals and organisational priorities and is evident in our work. In particular, we are committed to:
- using our assessments and other activities to promote action to reduce inequalities in people's health and to improve their experiences of healthcare and access to services through greater respect for human rights and diversity
- ensuring an explicit focus on inequalities, human rights and diversity in assessments
This page outlines our statement of intent and provides information on how we are promoting:
- Gender equality
- Disability equality
- Race equality
- Audit of equalities publications
- Equal opportunity in employment
- Measuring ethnicity in health data seminar
Find out more about our strategic goals
Our statement of intent
Our statement of intent on promoting human rights and reducing inequalities in health and healthcare was published in February 2005. It outlines our commitment to addressing inequalities by looking at healthcare services from the point of view of those less able to assert their rights. We will demonstrate our commitment to equality, diversity and human rights in:
- developing our criteria for assessment
- targeting and carrying out our programme of work
- our dealings with patients and the public
- the recruitment and development of our own staff
Read our statement of intent (DOC, 269K) (opens new window)
Gender equality
Our gender equality scheme and positive action plan
We published our gender equality scheme and positive action plan on April 30th 2007. The scheme demonstrates that we are promoting equality for women and men and that we are eliminating sexual discrimination and harassment in our role as an inspectorate, as well as in our employment functions.
The scheme complies with the Gender Equality Duty (the Duty), which came into force on April 6th 2007. The Duty aims to deliver real change and practical improvements in the lives of women and men, through helping public services to tackle gender inequality.
Read our gender equality scheme and positive action plan (pdf 761kb) (opens new window)
Read our Information Sharing Agreement with the Equal Opportunities Commission (pdf 97kb) (opens new window)
Disability equality
Our disability equality scheme and positive action plan
We published our disability equality scheme and positive action plan on December 4th 2006. The scheme complies with new legislation, the Disability Equality Duty, aiming to promote disability equality across the public sector.
Our scheme and positive action plan outlines how we will ensure that disabled people are treated fairly. By acting proactively on disability equality, we will improve our policies and services for disabled people.
Read our disability equality scheme and positive action plan (pdf 978kb) (opens new window)
Read our Memorandum of Understanding with the Disability Rights Commission (pdf 78kb) (opens new window)
Read our Disability Equality Scheme - Annual Review, December 2007 (pdf 106kb) (opens new window)
Race equality
Our race equality scheme
Our first race equality scheme, published in January 2006, setting out our contribution to achieving race equality in health and healthcare.
We published a revised race equality scheme and action plan in November 2007, aimed at strengthening the work we have done on promoting race equality since the first scheme. It identifies our priorities for 2007-2009, leading up to our planned merger in 2009 with the Commission for Social Care Inspection and the Mental Health Act Commission to form the new single regulator for health and social care services.
Read our race equality scheme and action plan for 2007/2009 (pdf 920kb) (opens new window)
We have also established a committee on equality and human rights, with the aim of:
- ensuring that the Commission reduces inequalities in health by promoting equality of access, experience and outcomes
- ensuring that the Commission becomes a model employer in equality in employment
- ensuring that the Commission meets its statutory duties and complies with all legislation on equality, diversity and human rights
Find out more information about our committee on equality and human rights
Read our Memorandum of Understanding with the Commission for Racial Equality (pdf 110kb) (opens new window)
Read our Information Sharing Agreement with the Commission for Racial Equality (pdf 116kb) (opens new window)
Planning for Inclusion Process (PIP) equality impact assessment
PIP equality impact assessments help encourage thinking about the differential impact of our work, based on an individuals ethnic origin, whether or not they are disabled, their gender identity, age, sexual orientation and religion or belief. They allow us to identify issues, and plan action to maximise opportunity for promoting equality and inclusion.
Planning for inclusion process (PIP): equality impact assessment form (doc 254kb) (opens new window)
Planning for inclusion process (PIP): equality impact assessment guidance (doc 441kb) (opens new window)
Completed PIP assessments online register
Online register of race equality impact assessments
The race equality impact assessment (REIA) online register is intended to raise awareness across the organisation of the various REIAs that are in progress.
Find out more about our online register of race equality impact assessments
Audit of equalities publications
As part of our role of eliminating discrimination and promoting equality within healthcare services, we have carried out two audits of NHS trusts’ websites, first in 2006 and again in 2007, to see whether trusts have published the information required by the specific duties of equalities legislation. The original audit concentrated on race equality schemes; the most recent audit also looks at disability equality schemes.
More information about our audit of equalities publications
Equal opportunities in employment
Our goal is to become a model equal opportunities employer, and to meet our specific employment duty under the Race Relations Act 1976 (as amended). To show how we are moving towards this goal, we publish statistics on our equality in employment monitoring each year in order to:
- become a model equal opportunities employer
- meet our specific employment duty under the Race Relations Act 1976 (as amended)
Monitoring equal opportunities in employment - January 2006 (pdf 106kb) (opens new window)
Annual internal review of diversity - September 2006 (pdf 203kb) (opens new window)
Measuring ethnicity in health data seminar
On February 12 th 2007, we hosted a seminar addressing the issue of measuring ethnicity in health data. About 40 delegates attended, including some from the Department of Health, the Health and Social Care Information Centre, CSCI, the Commission for Race Equality, the Office for National Statistics, King's Fund, the Public Health Observatories, and the NHS.
The aim of the seminar was to discuss issues relating to the measurability of ethnicity in health data, the gaps in such data and how they could be addressed and by whom, and ways of making effective use of the data available.
We have a public duty to promote race equality and to monitor how healthcare organisations are complying with the Race Relations Amendment Act.
Please click on the links to see more information about the seminar:
Agenda for the seminar (pdf 19kb) (opens new window)
List of attendees (pdf 26kb) (opens new window)
Background note on the seminar (pdf 89kb) (opens new window)
The presentations:
Analysing Ethnic Differentials in Health - defining the issues: Dr Bobbie Jacobson (pdf 292kb) (opens new window)
The current state of play: Monica Jones (pdf 394kb) (opens new window)
Why measurability matters: Dr Veena S Raleigh (pdf 129kb) (opens new window)
Quality of ethnicity coding in Hospital Episode Statistics (HES): Beyond Completeness: Theo Georghiou, Ruth Thorlby (pdf 46kb) (opens new window)
Information about the seminar (pdf 19kb) (opens new window)
Notes from the day (pdf 49kb) (opens new window)
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