Our goal is to ensure the provision of fair services which everybody can access regardless of background. We also want to see a diverse workforce within the NHS in Yorkshire and the Humber, which we know will help to improve the quality of care we deliver.
The NHS is a public body and under the Equality Act we have certain duties we have to fulfil to make sure we are doing the best we can for the communities we serve. These are:
- eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and any other conduct prohibited by the Act;
- advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it; and
- foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and people who don’t share it.
NHS Yorkshire and Humber cares very strongly about meeting these duties. We also have a Constitution in the NHS. The purpose of the constitution is to tell staff, patients and the public what they can expect from the National Health Service. Ensuring everyone has access to services is a fundamental part of the constitution:
“The NHS provides a comprehensive service available to all irrespective of gender, race disability, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief. It has a duty to each and every individual that it services and must respect their human rights.
"At the same time, it has a wider social duty to promote equality through the services it provides and to pay particular attention to groups or sections of society where improvements in health and life expectancy are not keeping pace with the rest of the population.”
(NHS Constitution: 2009)
You will find out more about the strategic role of the SHA and diversity of the workforce at the SHA if you click on the ‘our role’ link.
To access information about the priorities for the forthcoming year click on the ‘our priorities' link.
If you want to know more about what the population of Yorkshire and Humber looks like and who we are providing health services to click on ‘Our population’
Click on the 'case studies and resources' link to find out about; reducing cardiovascular disease in South Asian taxi drivers, the highly praised exhibition to educate on transgender issues, ‘In the Pink’ a guide to improve the health of the lesbian, gay and bisexual community and much more!
Under the Public Sector Equality Duties the SHA is required to publish the information it is using to inform the development of its Equality Objectives for 2012 onwards. The relevant sections of our webpages have been updated to reflect this requirement. To gain details of our specific approach to information in the year ahead click here
To find out more
If you would like to comment on anything you have seen on this webpage or would like to talk to someone about Equality, Diversity & Human Rights in the SHA you can call Gordon Smith on 0113 295 3145 or email him at gordon.smith@yorksandhumber.nhs.uk
