Help us set our Equality Objectives for 2011/12
The NHS organisations in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland have been preparing a wide-ranging strategy to tackle discrimination and improve fairness for people who use and work in our healthcare services.
Evidence gathered from patients has revealed that healthcare services are not always of the same quality, or are delivered with the most appropriate cultural sensitivity or levels of respect that are possible.
There is a wide degree of cultural diversity throughout Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, with particular concentrations of both religious and ethnic groupings in the city. Such diversity can increase the risk of unfair discrimination. Other factors, such as greater public awareness of people's sexual orientation and the an increasingly older population add to the possible risk of one group of people being treated differently or less favourably than another.
Our commitment is to continually reduce the impact of ‘health inequalities' - for example people living in one locality suffering more ill health and having a shorter life expectancy than those in another area. We are committed to identifying the causes of such inequalities and addressing them by ensuring everyone has the opportunity - together with our support - to improve their health and make use of the best healthcare services we can make available. That is why we want to hear your views to help plan or Equality Objectives for 2011/12.
Have your say
Tackling inequality and discrimination is both a long-term ambition and everyone's immediate concern. As part of the work in developing our Integrated Equality Strategy, we are asking people to join in a consultation to help select the top three equality objectives which your local NHS should prioritise.
It takes the form of an online survey, needing only a few minutes to complete.
There are seven options which we would like you to grade as either high, medium or low priority. All seven objectives are important, but you may consider some are more important than others. Please take part.
The closing day for responses is Monday 14 March 2011.
To take part, please click on this link.
If you have any special communication needs to enable participation in the survey, please contact Abida Hussain, Equality & Human Rights Officer, Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, George Hine House, Gipsy Lane, Leicester, LE5 0TD, telephone 0116 225 5938 or email abida.hussain@leicspart.nhs.uk .