We are working with NHS England to implement the first ever anti-racism framework for mental health Trusts and service providers.
The Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework (PCREF) will ensure that we are responsible for co-producing and implementing concrete actions to reduce racial inequality within our services, with a view to becoming an actively anti-racist organisation. We will embed the framework in three ways:
- Through Leadership and Governance: Our Trust Board will lead on establishing and monitoring concrete plans of action to reduce health inequalities
- With data: New data on improvements in reducing health inequalities will be published, as well as details on ethnicity in all existing core data sets
- Via feedback mechanisms: there will be visible and effective ways for our patients and carers to feedback, as well as clear processes to act and report on that feedback.
Our PCREF Lead at Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust, Deputy Chief Operating Officer Derek Hammond, said: “As an organisation, we have developed strong relationships within our local communities and partners and, using this framework, we will continue to work alongside our patients, carers and our local community to make the changes we need to make to reduce racial inequality wherever we find it.
“The PCREF is part of a wider approach to make our services more accessible for everyone. We are also working on a community research project, supported by the University of Gloucestershire, which is aimed at building knowledge through lived experience within our communities in Gloucestershire. Through this project, community researchers, recruited from the diverse ethnic groups we are hoping to engage with, are undertaking a training and mentoring programme to enable them to use their experiences and connections with their communities to help us to further shape our services”.
We are currently developing our PCREF governance structure, which will allow for further engagement with patients, carers and local communities. In the meantime, if you would like to get involved with our plans to make our services more accessible, contact Deputy Chief Operating Officer Derek Hammond at Derek.Hammond@ghc.nhs.uk, or Project Manager Callum Drury at Callum.Drury@ghc.nhs.uk
To find out more about the Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework, visit: NHS England » Advancing mental health equalities
PCREF launch webinar: Friday 3 November
NHS England will be holding a webinar to mark the national launch of the Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework to all mental health Trusts in England this Friday (3 November).
To find out more and/or reserve your free place, visit: Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework (PCREF) National Launch Webinar | NHS England Events
