The NHS Equality and Diversity Council (EDC) has taken another pivotal step to advance equality within the NHS. The Council has recommended that a Workforce Disability Equality Standard (WDES) should be mandated via the NHS Standard Contract in England from April 2018, with a preparatory year from 2017-18. NHS England has agreed to do so. […]

NHS England will be represented at a series of Pride events this summer, starting with London Pride this weekend. This is first time that members of the Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender plus (LGBT+) staff network, together with their straight ally colleagues, friends and families, will march representing the organisation. The move marks a celebration […]

The NHS Equality and Diversity Council is today publishing the inaugural report of the NHS Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES), showing results of the experiences of BME and white staff from the staff survey 2015 at every NHS trust across England. This is the first time the WRES data has been collected and published nationally. […]

Work by the fire and rescue services to help reduce demand for other services through prevention, including health and social care, is being showcased in a new document ‘Working Together’. Underlying risk factors that ultimately result in fires, such as smoking and alcohol consumption, also have a strong impact on health. Fire and rescue services […]

NHS England is pleased to announce two senior appointments to ensure employees from black and ethnic minority (BME) backgrounds have equal access to career opportunities and receive fair treatment in all NHS workplaces. Following a competitive selection process, Yvonne Coghill OBE has been appointed as Director, Workforce Race Equality Standard Implementation, and Roger Kline has […]

NHS England has this week announced action to improve race equality across the NHS workforce. The move follows recent reports that have highlighted disparities in the number of BME people in senior leadership positions across the NHS, as well as lower levels of wellbeing amongst the BME population. From April 2015, NHS organisations across the […]

The NHS Equality and Diversity Council today announced action to ensure employees from black and ethnic minority (BME) backgrounds have equal access to career opportunities and fair treatment in the workplace. The move follows recent reports which have highlighted disparities in the number of BME people in senior leadership positions across the NHS, as well as lower levels of wellbeing amongst the BME population. The Council has pledged its commitment, subject to consultation […]

At the System Leaders Forum on Tuesday 11 March Sir David Nicholson led the way in making his commitment to advancing equality and tackling health inequalities by signing a Statement of Declaration. By signing the declaration he has pledged to champion change on bringing together the equality and health inequalities agenda and raise ambition at […]

New funding formula for local health commissioners more accurately reflects population changes and includes a specific deprivation measure Funding for NHS commissioners will rise from £96bn to £100bn over the next two years, so despite wider public sector budget cuts the NHS is being protected from inflation at a time of austerity.  Changes to the […]

Today (4 November) at the London NHS Values Summit, NHS England Chief Executive, Sir David Nicholson, announced a refresh of a toolkit designed to ensure NHS organisations follow best practice in delivering services that are free of discrimination and meet the requirements of the Equality Act 2010. Sir David announced the refresh of the Equality […]