To help us continue to improve our service, this web site uses cookies. They cannot be used to identify you. Using this site implies an agreement to continue accepting them. For more details please see managing the cookies we use.  

About Us

Equality, Diversity & Human Rights

Equality Delivery System (EDS2)

The EDS2 is designed to support NHS organisations to provide services to patients that are personal, fair and diverse and to ensure that staff can thrive and hence deliver better health outcomes. The EDS2 is about making positive differences to healthy living and working lives.

The Trust has adopted the EDS2 and has fully committed to its implementation. The EDS2 is intended to help organisations to start the analysis that is required by section 149 of the Equality Act 2010 (the public sector equality duty) in a way that promotes localism. It also helps deliver the core principles and values of the NHS Constitution and supports the Trust to meet the Care Quality Commission's (CQC) 'Fundamental Standards of Care'.

The EDS2 is a tool for NHS organisations – in partnership with patients, the public, staff and staff-side organisations - to use to review their equality performance and to identify future priorities and actions.

While the EDS2 can help inform the decision-making process, it is important to ensure that it is only used as a tool to assist with evidence gathering and evaluation as part of the decision-making process. Of itself, it does not satisfy the Public Sector Equality Duty. In every case, organisations need to ensure that the decisions they make are in accordance with the requirements of public law. It should be implemented within a culture that already recognizes the equality challenges it faces, is ready to engage with patients, communities and staff, and has the resolve to move forward positively.

At the heart of the EDS2 is a set of 18 outcomes grouped into four goals. These outcomes focus on the issues of most concern to patients, carers, communities, NHS staff and Boards. It is against these outcomes that performance is analysed, graded and action determined. The four EDS2 goals are:

  • Better health outcomes for all
  • Improved patient access and experience
  • Empowered, engaged and included staff
  • Inclusive leadership at all levels

The grades are:

  1. Excelling – Purple
  2. Achieving - Green
  3. Developing – Amber
  4. Undeveloped – Red

The EDS2 covers all those people with characteristics protected by the Equality Act 2010 and also disadvantaged groups i.e. those facing stigma and discrimination such as the homeless, sex workers or drug users.

Our current scoring for EDS2 against the four outcomes is as follows:

Goals

Overall Score

Better Health Outcomes

Developing – Amber

Improved Patient Access and Experience

Achieving

A Representative and Supported Workforce

Developing – Amber

Inclusive Leadership

Developing – Amber

back to top