EM Strategic Health Authority - NHS Equality Delivery System (EDS)

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The Equality Delivery System for the NHS (EDS)

"The Equality and Diversity Council, which has sponsored the Equality Delivery System, and all those in the NHS who have developed it, are to be congratulated. The EDS will greatly help the NHS meet the requirements of the public sector Equality Duty. This is a good example of how different parts of the public sector can implement the Equality Duty in a way that fits with their own circumstances, and their wider public service objectives."

Government Equalities Office, July 2011

Latest updates

Paula Vasco-Knight

Until December 2011, the EDS work was led by Tim Rideout (CEO of NHS Leicester City, on assignment to work on setting up the NHS Commissioning Board) on behalf of the EDC, and by NHS East Midlands on behalf of the NHS. The specific EDS proposals were developed by a Working Group which includes representatives from strategic health authorities, primary care trusts, NHS Employers and the Care Quality Commission, supported by Department of Health officials.

The EDS work is now being led by Paula Vasco-Knight (CEO of South Devon Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust) and by NHS Midlands and East on behalf of the NHS. Paula is supported by an EDS Programme Office Team, led by Maqsood Ahmad, Director of Inclusion for NHS Midlands and East and Director for NHS EDS Implementation.

Contacts

For further information about the EDS, email edssupport@nhs.net

For further information about the EDC go to the Dept of Health webpage on EDC
For further information specific to East Midlands go to the EDS East Midlands page

Background

The Equality Delivery System (EDS) for the NHS was made available to the NHS on 29 July 2011, 'launch' versions of the Main Text, and Grades Manual were prepared. These versions took account of changes in the NHS since July, and to reflect emerging implementation themes. Further amended verions of the Main Text and Grades Manual are now available dated January 2012. The amended versions are revised with reference to EDS Outcome 3.2, where EHRC's Statutory Code of Practice on equal pay is cited.

The other four documents are unchanged.

The NHS has been sponsored and supported by the Equality and Diversity Council (EDC) to develop the EDS for the NHS. Work on the EDS was initiated by the EDC in early 2010. The EDC is a sub-committee of the NHS Management Board. Sir David Nicholson, the NHS Chief Executive, chairs both groups.

Much work on the EDS takes its inspiration from prior NHS work, including that of NHS North West. Many NHS staff have contributed to the develoment of the EDS, along with patient and community groups and other stakeholders. NHS Midlands and East leads EDS developments on behalf of the NHS.

The EDC was established in 2009 and includes Director Generals of the Department of Health, representatives from each strategic health authority and other interests. The EDC supports NHS staff and organisations to work closely with the communities they serve to deliver services that are personal, fair and diverse; to champion continuous improvement in the quality of patient services; promote good practice; and support the NHS to implement the Equality Act 2010.

The EDS is one of the first products initiated by the EDC. The purpose of the EDS is to drive up equality performance and embed equality into mainstream NHS business. It has been designed to help NHS organisations, in the current and new NHS structures, to meet:

the requirements of the public sector Equality Duty
equality aspects of the NHS Constitution
equality aspects of the NHS Outcomes Framework
equality aspects of CQC's Essential Standards
equality aspects of the Human Resources Transition Framework

Please note that use of the EDS does not automatically lead to better equality performance. For this to happen, the EDS must be used well, championed by committed leadership with a workforce that is supported to be confident and competent in dealing with equality.