Most, if not all of us, working in General Practice are acutely aware that now, more than ever, we need to work hard towards creating and developing a more equal, diverse and inclusive culture. We’re acutely aware than ensuring equality in the workforce isn’t just the right thing to do, it will positively impact upon patient care.
The good news is that there’s plenty of advice out there. The NHS People Plan 2020/21 published in July 2020 provides a great starting point – with advice on growing the workforce, providing impactful training and development opportunities, and working together differently to deliver better patient care. Additionally, the Equalities Act 2010 sets out employer obligations and details the appropriate steps to take if instances of discrimination do occur.
At HED, we’re here to help too. A big part of what we do is helping Primary Care Networks across Derbyshire to create supportive and inclusive working and training environments, making sure that everyone feels involved, valued, respected and is treated fairly, and embedded in their culture. This involves working closely with teams across the region, looking at the way they recruit, retain and develop the workforce.
And, of course, improving diversity in the workplace isn’t just about introducing policies and procedures or improving headcount or employment quotas, it’s also about championing the unique aspects of every employee irrespective of their background.
In a new initiative led by Jazz Sehmi, our interim head of EDI, HED’s Leadership Team is working on a comprehensive framework outlining how we can foster a diverse and inclusive workforce in the region. The framework of activities, events and training is designed to help everyone working across Derbyshire primary care to feel comfortable about contributing to a discussion about diversity and inclusion - and to ensure that they are able to make their voices heard.
Part of this activity is a comprehensive discrimination survey, which we’ve completed over the last 3 months. We hope that the results will provide valuable information about what our colleagues have experienced whilst working in General Practice, as well as giving Practice Managers focus for improvement. Keep an eye out for the results of this work and please do take part in any initiatives that will help shape your experiences.
In addition, our primary care partners GP Task Force, organised an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in Primary Care webinar. If you didn’t manage to join live, you can watch a recording from the event at: Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in Primary Care Session. Participants reported that the session was informative and useful, giving practical tips to take back to their day jobs.
And, if you do manage to watch the recording, please can you share your feedback by clicking on this link. Your feedback is valuable and will help to highlight the areas we need to focus on going forward.
We’re looking forward to working with many of you in Derby and Derbyshire’s primary care teams, as we help networks and practices in the region fulfil their diversity and inclusion ambitions. Over the coming weeks and months, look out for opportunities to get involved in focus groups, attend events, or engage in various initiatives where we will be looking to seek your input on a range of different topics. Should you have any queries regarding this work or would like to be more involved, please do not hesitate to contact us – we’re here to help.
For more details please contact:
Jazz Sehmi Interim Head of EDI at HED: [email protected]
Or
Dr Shehla Imtiaz-Umer, GP Task Force EDI Fellow: [email protected] Twitter: @drshehlaiu
Published on:
September 17, 2021
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