Equality Diversity Inclusion Public Service User Annual report financial year 2023-24
A reflection of progress in relation to Equality Diversity & Inclusion, including our statutory equality standards
As a publicly funded organisation, Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust (BHT) is required to publish information annually on how it has met the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) 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. The information provided demonstrates how in 2023/24 we have considered how our services and activities, both as an employer and a service provider, affect people with different protected characteristics.
Equality objectives for patients and the general public were set by our Trust Board for 20219-2023:
- Reduce inequalities for patients with protected characteristics
- Engage isolated patient groups in Buckinghamshire
- Listen and encompass the patient voice
This report provides an update on how the Trust is meeting its PSED obligations along with an overview of activity undertaken to meet it equality objectives during the financial year 2023/34 covering the following key areas:
- Patient Profile
- Business Planning
- Patient Experience and Involvement
- Public and Patient Engagement
In 2024 the Trust will be reviewing its equality objectives in line with our strategy and 5-year plan using the Equality Delivery System 2022.
Summary of Activity 2023/24
Our key achievements in reducing health inequalities and fostering relationships in 2023/24 were:
- Reducing smoking in pregnancy – increased engagement with the Trust’s smoking cessation service from 25% to 70%. As a result, less than 5% of women now smoke at time of delivery meaning that 226 babies were protected against the negative impacts of smoking in pregnancy
- Increasing the percentage of people being referred to cardiology services from the most deprived areas – As part of a collaborative working agreement with Novartis UK, the Trust has created the Buckinghamshire Lipid Optimisation Programme. The programme seeks to proactively reach out to patients with a history of cardiovascular disease and high cholesterol, offering them cholesterol lowering therapies which reduce their overall cardiovascular risk.
- Improving the early identification of frailty, with more than 30% of patients in our Emergency Department having a documented frailty score – over 90% of patients aged over 65 presenting in the Emergency Department have had a Clinical Frailty Score documented during the year.
- Patients from a South Asian background reported lower levels of satisfaction with BHT services. The Trust has undertaken a range of initiatives over the year to improve patient experience and outcomes for patients from a south Asian background
- Improved access to interpreting services
- Increased opportunities to feedback
- Improving Maternity Services at Wycombe Hospital – patient engagement
- Older People’s Health & Wellbeing days – Thame & Chalfont & Gerrards Cross Community Hospitals – public engagement
- Research & Innovation – ranked 2nd in England for research trial recruitment among similar-sized acute trusts and 1st for setting up trials. Over 4,500 Buckinghamshire residents, a quarter from primary care, participated in 70 studies across 26 specialties
- Homeless workshop – increasing collaborative working across key local stakeholder organisations