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Equality, diversity and health inequalities

We’re committed to equality, diversity and inclusion, ​improving health outcomes and reducing health inequalities in all our boroughs.

It’s important that the NHS provides services that are fair, accessible and flexible to meet the needs of our diverse community in South West London.  

We know that:

  • People can experience inequalities, discrimination, harassment and other barriers.
  • Patients should be at the centre of our decision making, and in partnership we can deliver high quality, accessible services that tackle inequalities and respond to personal needs.
  • An environment of dignity, tolerance and mutual respect should be created, maintained and experienced by all our patients, staff and members.

Public sector equality duty

Information:

The public sector equality duty outlines duties for public authorities to meet under the Equality Act 2010. We have a responsibility to demonstrate how we as an organisation are meeting our legal duties and are required to publish information annually showing how we comply.

Under the Equality Act we must show how we are:

  • Eliminating discrimination, harassment and victimisation and any other conduct that is prohibited by or under the act.
  • Advancing equality of opportunity between people who share a relevant protected characteristic and people who do not share it.
  • Fostering good relations between people who share a relevant protected characteristic and those who do not share it.
  • Being transparent about how we respond to the equality duty, and are required to publish relevant, proportionate information showing compliance annually.

We’re determined to carry out these duties and ensure they inform how we plan and operate as an organisation.

Equality analyses

All projects we carry out include an equality analysis prior to implementation. This helps us understand the impact each project will have on different groups in our community.

We have developed a system to ensure that appropriate assessments are carried out at the right time. Equality analyses form a key part of our documentation on every project.