Annual Report
For our latest Annual Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Report, please see:
Plans, values and reports
The NHS Constitution
The NHS Constitution has been created to protect the NHS and make sure it will always do the things it was set up to do in 1948 - to provide high-quality healthcare that's free and for everyone.
"You have the right not to be unlawfully discriminated against in the provision of NHS services, including on the grounds of gender, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, disability including learning disability or mental illness or age." NHS Constitution March 2010
NHS Constitution for England
What the Trust believes
Extracts from the Equality and Diversity Policy
- The Trust will not tolerate discrimination under any circumstances and particularly because of a protected characteristic; these are race, age, sex, disability, religion or belief (or no belief), pregnancy or maternity, civil partnership or marriage, gender re-assignment and sexual orientation.
- The Trust will not tolerate bullying and harassment under any circumstances and particularly on the grounds of a protected characteristic. A separate Bullying and Harassment Policy is in place.
- The Trust is fully committed to adherence to the Equality Act 2010 and undertaking action under the public sector Equality Duties, as defined within the Act. The Equality Act 2010 replaces the majority of previous discrimination legislation. The Trust has developed Equality Objectives (see Appendix 1) to support and promote equality and diversity throughout the organisation.
The Equality Act 2010
The Equality Act 2010 replaces previous equalities legislation with one Act. This organisation is required by law to comply with the Act:
- Eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment, 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;
- Foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it.
The act covers nine protected characteristics. Every person has one or more of the protected characteristics, so the act protects everyone against unfair treatment.
The protected characteristics are:
- age
- disability
- gender reassignment
- marriage and civil partnership
- pregnancy and maternity
- race
- religion or belief
- sex
- sexual orientation
Find out more about the Equality Act:
Healthcare services
The Trust is required to publish evidence that we consider the diverse needs of patients, such as:
- the number of people with different protected characteristics who access and use services in different ways
- satisfaction levels and informal feedback from service users with different protected characteristics and results of consultations.
Patient survey results can be accessed from the Care Quality Commission surveys website:
Care Quality Commission: surveys
'Let us know your views' leaflets are available across the Trust; individual departments also produce periodic surveys for patient satisfaction or audit purposes.
Summaries of key issues are available monthly, but are not yet analysed by protected group. This information is available on request from PALSJR@ouh.nhs.uk
Please tell us about your experience
Patient feedback