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The Healthcare Commission warns that it suspects the NHS of widespread
non-compliance with legislation on race relations designed to promote
equality.
It will release results of an audit suggesting most trusts have
not met responsibilities to publish information under the Race Relations
(Amendment) Act 2000.
Inspectors spent 30 minutes scanning each website of all 570 NHS
trusts, looking for information that legislation has required public
bodies to publish since May 2002.
In that half an hour, they could only find this information the
websites of seven NHS trusts, around one per cent of the total.
As part of a duty to promote race equality, all NHS trusts should
publish:
- a race equality scheme and action plan setting out how the organisation
will make race equality central to all its functions, reviewed
every three years
- annual employment monitoring statistics showing the ethnic profile
of the workforce, including access to training and promotion, as
well as numbers of job applicants and short-listed candidates
- the outcome of race equality impact assessments demonstrating
what action has been taken to address any adverse impact of an
organisation’s
policies.
In the time allowed under the audit, Commission inspectors could
find:
- none of the information required on 31% of trust websites
- an updated race equality scheme on 60% of trust websites
- employment monitoring statistics on 6% of trust websites
- race equality impact assessments on 2% of trust websites
The Commission stresses that the audit is not a definitive test
of compliance, but says the findings do suggest a significant problem
with the number of trusts meeting statutory codes of practice. As a result, the inspectorate has this week written to NHS trusts
urging them to check they meet their legal responsibilities. It plans
to identify the apparent worst offenders and warn them that unless
they demonstrate action they risk taking a hit in the annual performance
ratings.
It has also passed the findings to the Commission for Racial Equality,
which has powers to warn and prosecute organisations that fail to
comply.
Jamie Rentoul, the Healthcare Commission’s Head of Strategy,
said:
“ It is not unreasonable to expect legislation to take
a little time to bed in. But we were surprised and disappointed by
the apparent extent of the problem at this stage.
_ Trusts should take this seriously
because NHS services have not always found it easy to reach all
sections of the community.
They employ a particularly large and diverse section of the workforce
so it is important they demonstrate what they are doing.
_ This is why we are putting trusts
on notice that they must put their houses in order. If they fail
to do so then we, and the
CRE, will have to take action. The duty to promote race equality
is not an optional extra.”
The Race Relations Act 2000 was part of the response to the public
inquiry into the murder of Stephen Lawrence. The law instructs public
sector bodies to actively seek to reduce inequalities between races,
both in service provision and employment.
The NHS has long recognized that people from ethnic minority groups
have poorer access to services and outcomes from treatment. The Commission’s
surveys of patients show these groups are more likely to be negative
about their healthcare.
The inspectorate points out that the NHS is the biggest employer
in the world with 1.4 million workers. It says that a relatively
large number of these - almost 40% - are from black and
minority ethnic groups.
Inspectors found a race equality scheme at 73% of trusts
in the southeast, compared with 54% in the central region,
55% in the north and 63% in the southwest.
They found a race equality scheme most easily on the websites of
primary care trusts followed by mental health, ambulance and learning
disability trusts. They found a race equality scheme on the websites
of fewer than half of acute hospital trusts.
Surinder Sharma, the National Director for Equality and Human Rights,
said:
" The Department of Health takes these findings very seriously.
All NHS organisations must ensure that they are fully compliant with
the Race Relations Act and publicly set out how they are meeting
their responsibilities.
_ Whilst the Healthcare Commission's
audit is not a definitive test of co-operation, it does point to
serious issues of concern.
I am personally looking to every NHS Trust to give immediate attention
to remedying this situation, not just to comply with legislation,
but also because race equality remains a core element of our drive
to improve access to healthcare, combat health inequalities and develop
a diverse workforce.“
The Department of Health says it will notify all NHS chief executives
of the importance of responding to these findings in a prompt professional
manner, and will be issuing new equality guidance to non-executive
directors of NHS boards.
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those of IvyRose Ltd.. Material in this news item was released
by the Healthcare Commission (UK) on
18 August 2006 and may have been edited (e.g. in style, length,
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