Equal opportunities policies: health (England and Wales)

Updating author: Julie Steele
Consultant editor: Capsticks

Summary

• The general public sector equality duty applies to a range of public bodies, including NHS trusts. (See Public sector equality duty)
• Guidance is available to assist NHS organisations in putting equality and diversity at the centre of how they operate and navigating the key equality and diversity actions and deliverables as they apply to the NHS. (See Equality and diversity in practice)
• The NHS Centre for Equality and Human Rights helps NHS Wales employers to meet their statutory equality and human rights requirements and promotes best practice on equality and human rights across the NHS and wider Welsh public sector. (See NHS Wales - Centre for Equality and Human Rights)
• Guidance on employing people with mental health problems is available. (See Mental health)
• A diversity appraisal resource guide is available with regard to the employment of nurses. (See Diversity appraisal for nurses)
• The General Medical Council has produced guidance on equal opportunities and diversity issues. (See Valuing diversity - guidance for doctors)
• Guidance on avoiding sexual orientation discrimination has been produced by The Gay and Lesbian Association of Doctors and Dentists and by the British Medical Association. (See Avoiding sexual orientation discrimination)
• The employment tribunal ruled in the equal pay case of Hartley v Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust that Agenda for Change is not sex discriminatory. (See Equal pay)
• From 31 March 2017, the specific public-sector equality duties in England include a gender pay gap reporting duty for most public bodies, including NHS employers (See Gender pay gap reporting in the public sector)