Our Policy

Our work on delivering equality in the patient experience of our services and in access to career opportunities of those who work with us, continues to grow. This means that information we want to share with partners, stakeholders and the wider public will also continue to grow.

We keep under regular review how we can ensure that it is easy for you to find that information. It is here that you will find what we are doing to meet our legal duties on Equality for all people who share the protected characteristics as set out in the Equality Act 2010. You will also find information on what progress we are making with equality and diversity impact assessment of our services, policies and functions.

In many of these areas you will find there is an opportunity to comment on what we have done. Where this is the case, we will provide guidance on how to provide us with your comments and thoughts.

Further information is available about:

Strategic Statement on Equality, Diversity & Human Rights
As a health board and as a body of NHSScotland staff, we are committed to playing our part in delivering a health service where equality, diversity and human rights is embraced by everyone and finds expression in the everyday work of our staff. This statement explains just how we will do this as a service provider and as an employer.

Equality & Diversity Annual Report
This provides you with formal reports on what we have achieved against many of the legal and other obligations we have to remove discrimination and deliver measurable equality. This remains a relatively new approach.  In here you will find our fourth annual report covering the period 2009-10. 

Sexual Orientation Equality Scheme
Although we were not required to draw up and publish a Scheme to meet our legal obligations, we believe that levelling up in this way helped ensure we avoided creating a hierarchy of inequality. The Equality Act 2010 is moving away from the need for Equality Schemes and instead focusing on Equality Outcomes. More on this will appear during 2011.

Gender Equality Scheme
This is a Scheme we were required to publish and on which we were also required to report progress. For progress, read our Annual Report on Equality & Diversity. The Equality Act 2010 is moving away from the need for Equality Schemes and instead focusing on Equality Outcomes. More on this will appear during 2011. For what we are doing on Equal Pay, this section of the web site will provide you with access to three formal Equal Pay Reviews we have published. Our most recent Review also includes an analysis of whether our pay structures leads to pay discrimination on the grounds of disability.

Race Equality Scheme
In this section of the web site you will find our original Scheme along with the review of that Scheme. We have completed this work in partnership with REACH, a BME community organisation and have agreed a new Action Plan to guide our future work on delivering race equality. The Equality Act 2010 is moving away from the need for Equality Schemes and instead focusing on Equality Outcomes. More on this will appear during 2011.

Disability Equality Scheme
In this part of our web site you will find our second Disability Equality Scheme, covering the period 2009-12.  It was developed in partnership with Glasgow Centre for Inclusive Living, a user-led organisation of and for disabled people. The Equality Act 2010 is moving away from the need for Equality Schemes and instead focusing on Equality Outcomes. More on this will appear during 2011

Religion & Belief Equality Scheme 
We did consult on a draft Scheme late in 2010 on what we need to do in delivering equality for patients and staff irrespective of religion or belief, including where people have none. The Equality Act 2010 is moving away from the need for Equality Schemes and instead focusing on Equality Outcomes. More on this will appear during 2011.

Equality and Diversity Impact Assessment
And here at this part of the web site is a growing list of impact assessments. Some of these are for comment currently, others are available for you to examine and see how well we are reviewing all our policies, functions and services to identify any discrimination in what we do and, where we have found it, how we will go about removing it.

We will continue to keep this part of our web site under review to ensure it delivers what we must do, as well as what provides maximum accessibility and relevance to you, our web site visitors.

If you have any suggestions for improving how we make information on equality and diversity available to you, please let us know by emailing the Equality & Diversity Unit.

Wlad.Mejka@nhs24.scot.nhs.uk or David.Morrison@nhs24.scot.nhs.uk

If you prefer to write or phone, contact details are as follows:

Wladyslaw Mejka Equality & Diversity Manager NHS 24 Norseman House Ferrymuir South Queensferry EH30 9QZ Tel - 0131 300 4361  Mob – 0776 731 0927

David Morrison Equality & Diversity Co-ordinator NHS 24 Caledonia House Cardonald Park Glasgow G51 4EB Tel - 0141 337 4532 Mob - 0783 340 2604

If you would like to learn more about NHS 24’s Public Partnership Forum please visit the Get Involved section of the site. The Forum actively seeks out members from diverse communities.