About
The principles of equality, diversity and inclusion are fundamental to the successful delivery of patient care and these underpin our vision of the best care for everyone.
On this page
We're committed to designing and delivering our services around the needs of individual patients and their families. Along with patients and families, best care for everyone also includes our staff and volunteers who deliver a wide range of services. Equality, diversity and inclusion are key enablers for an engaged, productive and safe workforce.
Legally protected characteristics
Everyone has at least five protected characteristics:
- race
- sex
- age
- religion and belief or no belief
- sexual orientation
In addition, some people have one or more of the following protected characteristics:
- disability
- pregnancy or maternity
- marriage or civil partnership
- gender reassignment
We know that involving our diverse and varied communities when designing our services is essential if we are to ensure the right care and support is available, when and where it is needed. We provide care for all sections of the community, regardless of these characteristics.
Everyone who accesses our Trust for treatment, or works or volunteers for us, can expect to be treated with dignity and respect regardless of the protected characteristics which they hold.
We have no tolerance for harassment, bullying or unlawful discrimination towards our patients or staff or volunteers. We are committed to encouraging staff to contribute to a culture which values the unique identity of our patients and one another.
Equality in NHS
Under the Equality Act 2010, NHS organisations have what is called a general equality duty. In practice this means that we must:
- eliminate discrimination, harassment and victimisation, and any other conduct that is prohibited by the Equality Act
- advance equality of opportunity between people who share a relevant protected characteristic and people who do not share it
- foster good relations between people who share a relevant protected characteristic and those who do not share it
These are underpinned by the Public Sector Equality Duty which requires us to:
- publish information annually to show our compliance with the equality duty
- set and publish equality objectives, at least every four years
Access our latest reports which demonstrate the compliance and progress we are making in these areas.