Annual Patient Public Sector Equality Duty Report 2020-2021
As a publicly funded organisation, Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust is required to publish information annually on how it has met the Public Sector Equality Duties and taken steps to eliminate unlawful discrimination, advance equality of opportunity for people with protected characteristics and foster good relations between those who share protected characteristics and those who do not.
This report provides assurance to the Trust Board and to the Public that our organisation is meeting its public sector equality duties and continuing to promote an inclusive culture across the organisation. The report summarises our patient and public equality, diversity and inclusion activity in 2020/21. The Trust has a legal obligation, (under the Public Sector Equality Duty, as set out in the Equality Act 2010), to deliver equal access to fair and inclusive services and opportunities, but over and above our legal obligations, we as a Trust want to ensure that these basic principles are embedded in everything we do.
In 2019 the following equality objectives were set by our Trust Board for 2019-2023, in line with our PSED requirements. These are the equality objectives set for public and patients only:
- Reduce inequalities for patients with protected characteristics
- Engage isolated patient groups in Buckinghamshire
- Listen and act upon the patient voice
These objectives were developed following our EDS2 assessments undertaken in 2019.
Our current Trust strategy was approved in 2016. It supported us on our journey to achieve a CQC rating of ‘good’ in 2019 (‘outstanding’ for caring) and to be part of one of the first wave integrated care systems in England.
Our organisation and system have moved on, not least in responding to the largest global pandemic for a century. We are updating our strategy to reflect the ways we have changed how we deliver care and how we want to change in the future to meet the needs of the population.
Our new Trust vision is Outstanding Care, Healthy Communities and a Great Place to Work.
It encapsulates our aspirations to be outstanding and reduce health inequalities. It is also clear on our focus on people. We are continuing to develop our compassionate culture valuing diversity and inclusion, involving and enabling everyone to be proud of the care we provide.