NHS told to comply with equality duty

The NHS has published new guidance on the types of equality information NHS organisations might publish to demonstrate compliance with the public sector equality duty (PSED).

The Equality Act 2010 requires that public bodies, including NHS organisations, publish information to show that they are complying with the need to eliminate harassment, advance equal opportunities and foster good relations between different groups by 31 January 2012. This duty covers nine areas (the so-called 'protected characteristics') including sex and sexual orientation.

NHS compliance is being rolled out across the country through the Equality Delivery System (EDS) under the auspices of NHS Midlands and East.

During February the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) will be checking organisations’ websites to see:

• how easy it is to find equality information and if it is easy to understand
• how comprehensive it is in relation to employees, potential and actual service users
• whether gaps have been identified and what plans there are to address them
• if information has been published to demonstrate how their equality data has been used to inform decision making.

All NHS organisations will also need to set specific equality objectives by 6 April 2012 in order to comply with the public sector duties of the Act.

• Also on the MHF website: What is the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED)?
• More on the EDS
• More on the NHS employers' guidance including the PDF Guidance on meeting the specific duty: publishing information to demonstrate compliance
• More on the EHRC guidance