Who we are

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Our Trust is committed to delivering fully inclusive services for the community we serve. We are also fully committed to ensuring our staff work in an environment that is free from discrimination.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Equality and diversity is central to our values and the provision of our services. As part of the NHS we are a public sector organisation with a statutory duty to ensure equality, diversity and human rights are embedded in everything we do, as required by the Equality Act 2010, the Human Rights Act 1998 and the NHS Constitution.

Accessible Information Standard

The Accessible Information Standard was introduced in 2016. It ensures that service users and carers can receive information in a format that is accessible and able to be understood. If you need information in large print, braille, Easy Read, in another language or need other support, such as an interpreter, please let us know. You should also be asked if you have a preferred format for information when you first have contact with us. We will record your communication preferences and then share this information, with your consent, with other health and social care professionals.

If you have any questions about this, either speak to one of our staff or email ghc.comms@nhs.net

Equality Act 2010

The Equality Act 2010 replaced all previous equalities legislation and introduced a general public sector equality duty which all public bodies, including the NHS, have to meet. The general duty has three aims and requires public bodies to have due regard to the need to:

eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and other conduct prohibited by The Equality Act 2010
advance equality of opportunity between people from different groups
foster good relations between people from different groups. This involves tackling prejudice and promoting understanding between people from different groups

The Equality Act 2010 outlaws acts of discrimination against the following nine protected characteristics:

Age
Disability
Sex
Gender reassignment
Marriage and civil partnership
Pregnancy and maternity
Race
Religion or belief
Sexual orientation

Equality Delivery System

The EDS22 is a framework designed to help facilitate NHS organisations to assess, rate and improve services they provide for their local communities and provide better working environments, free of discrimination, for those who work in the NHS, while meeting the requirements of the Equality Act 2010 and Public Sector Equality Duty.

EDS Cover Report 2024

EDS Reporting Template and Action Plan 2024

EDS Cover Report 2023

EDS Reporting Template and Action Plan 2023

Gender Pay Gap

The Board of Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust confirms its commitment to ongoing monitoring and analysis of its Gender Pay Gap data and to developing the appropriate actions which will reduce and eradicate this gap over time.

Additionally, the Board is fully committed to working in partnership with colleagues, stakeholder organisations and external agencies to learn from other organisations, apply good practice and to take innovative approaches, including positive action in its action to reduce and remove the gender pay gap.

This 2025 Gender Pay Gap Report was discussed and approved by our Trust Board on in February 2026.

Human Rights Act 1998

The Human Rights Act 1998 was introduced to ensure people are treated with dignity and respect. Respect for the rights of individuals or groups is fundamental to their quality of life. The Human Rights Act has at its core the principles of FREDA – Fairness, Respect, Equality, Dignity and Autonomy. We believe that these principles are fundamental to the NHS in general and to our Trust specifically.

NHS rainbow badges and lanyards

You may have spotted some of our staff wearing NHS rainbow badges and lanyards. This is just one way to show that Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust (GHC) services are open, non-judgmental and inclusive places for people who identify as LGBTQI+ – all identities, regardless of how people define themselves.

About the initiative

The rainbow badge initiative began at Evelina London Children’s Hospital to send a message of inclusion for people that identified as LGBTQI+. Lesbian, gay, bi and transgender people in the UK can still face significant barriers to accessing healthcare, which can have a direct impact on their physical and mental wellbeing. Research shows that:

one in five LGBTQI+ people are not ‘out’ to any healthcare professional about their sexual orientation when seeking general medical care
one in seven have avoided treatment for fear of discrimination
one in eight have experienced some form of unequal treatment from healthcare staff because they identify as LGBTQI+ (Stonewall, Nov 2018)
Most NHS Trusts in the UK now provide rainbow badges and lanyards to staff to help reduce these barriers.

At GHC we are fully committed to providing a safe and inclusive environment for all our patients, colleagues and visitors. Simple visible symbols, like the rainbow badges and lanyards, are designed to remind everyone that GHC is a safe space to talk, be open and get support if needed.

Have you spotted someone wearing a rainbow badge?

If you see a member of staff wearing a rainbow badge, ask them about it! It is a reminder that you can be open with all GHC staff about your identity and who you are. They will listen and respond without judgement and do their best to get you support if you need it. If you work for us and would like to know more, visit our staff intranet for more information about our lanyard and badges and how to make a pledge.

Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework (PCREF)

The Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework (PCREF) was a recommendation following the national Mental Health Act Review in 2018. In our Trust, PCREF exists to eliminate the unacceptable racial disparity in the access, experience and outcomes that ethnic minority communities face and to significantly improve their trust and confidence in mental health services.

PCREF is an ambitious and transformative programme where partnership working is at its heart. We welcome people’s thoughts and views on how we can improve our services in line with the aims of PCREF. To get involved email ghc.pcrefinbox@nhs.net.

What is the framework?

The Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework was a key recommendation following the national Mental Health Act Review in 2018. PCREF is NHS England’s accountability framework to tackle and eliminate the unacceptable racial inequalities in access, experience and outcomes faced by Black, Asian, and Multi-Ethnic communities and to significantly improve their trust and confidence in mental health services.

The PCREF is split into three core components:

Part 1: Leadership and Governance – Meeting Statutory and Legal requirements
Part 2: National Organisational Competencies
Part 3: The Patient and Carers Feedback Mechanism

We are able to look at our service data and clearly see which groups have the best and worst access, experience and outcomes (AEO). Our Trust data shows that patients from Black African, Black Caribbean, Black Mixed and Black Other census categories have the worst access, experience and outcomes with us and we are focusing on these groups.

Click here for more information about PCREF and our commitment to it.

Workforce Disability and Race Equality Standards

Workforce Disability and Race Equality Standards 2024

We are pleased to publish the 2025/26 Workforce Disability Equality Standard (WDES) and Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES) data Report and Action Plans.

These are live plans and have been pulled together in collaboration with the Trust’s Networks and the action plan leads, with much of the work already underway.

If you have any questions about the plans, or you would like to find out more, please contact our Organisational Development and Inclusion team; ghc.equalitydiversityinclusion@nhs.net

Our previous Workforce Disability Equality Standard and Workforce Race Equality Standard Action Plans

Click here for further information about WRES and for more information on WDES.

Annual Equalities Report

View our latest report

Trust Statement on Modern Slavery

Who we are

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion