Equality & Diversity
Single Equality Scheme Foreword

An Introduction to NHS Sheffield

Sheffield Primary Care Trust (PCT) divided into two organisations in October 2010. NHS Sheffield is now the commissioner of health services in Sheffield and Sheffield PCT is a provider of health care services in Sheffield.

NHS Sheffield focuses on reducing health and related inequalities through our Achieving Balanced Health Strategy and through the Equality Impact Assessments embedded within the commissioning cycle and corporate functions of the organisation.

NHS Sheffield, as the leader for healthcare commissioning and procurement in Sheffield, understands its responsibility to actively promote equal opportunities.

Through engagement with the public, patients, seldom heard groups, carers and partnerships in which we work we aim to ensure that the services that we commission are responsive to our diverse population’s needs.

Our population and services

NHS Sheffield serves a population of approximately 516,000 and covers the
same area as Sheffield City Council. In order to fulfil its functions it has
a revenue budget of over £750 million.

NHS Sheffield has contracts with independent contractors, including 397 GPs, 244 Dentists, 112 Pharmacists and 96 Opticians, as well as with Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, Sheffield Health and Social Care Trust, and a wide range of voluntary sector organisations.

Main Functions

To commission high quality health care
To provide value for money
To engage with the local population and improve health and well being.
To target resources to tackle inequality and improve access

NHS Planning Processes

NHS Sheffield is required to operate within the NHS planning system and “The NHS in England: the Operating Framework “sets out the expectations for the NHS during 2011/2012 nationally.

Accountability

We are accountable to our local population directly through the City Council Overview and Scrutiny Committee and to the Strategic Health Authority (SHA).

We hold providers to account through commissioning and contracting process and quality reviews.

We work in partnership with a number of organisations including the voluntary sector through partnership boards.

Engagement

In keeping with the proposals in “Our Health, Our Care, Our Say” and the NHS Operating Framework, NHS Sheffield sought the views on how services can and should be better organised for the benefit of patients and the people of Sheffield.

We hold a wide range of engagement events with the public each year relating to our commissioning activities and redesign of services, and in relation to the provision of public health activities.

Our strategy

An extensive public consultation exercise was launched on 2nd March 2007 called “Achieving Balanced Health.” (ABH) The widespread consultation ensured a diversity of input from a range of communities and stakeholders.

A five-year strategic plan to achieve good health and wellbeing for the people in Sheffield was developed. We are in our fourth year of Achieving Balanced Health, with ABH 4 now in development. (See NHS Sheffield website.)

All of our strategic objectives will be underpinned by the following principles:

Building on what is already good
Working through partnerships
Focus on getting it right
Ensuring active engagement with patients, the public and staff
Ensuring our clinicians are involved
Base decisions on evidence
Promote excellence and encourage innovation
Respect individuals
Promote team working
Ensuring value for money
An understanding of inequality

Our approach to Equality and Diversity

Since autumn 2010, NHS Sheffield has been further reviewing and revising our Single Equality Scheme (SES) and SES Action Plan. To comply with the Equality Act, October 2010 we are already planning what will need to change in relation to our work on equality.

The existing Single Equality Scheme described the actions that we have and continue to deliver to embed equality into our mainstream organisational processes until we create our new plan to meet the requirements of the Equality Act.

We aim to have an outline of our intentions under the Equality Act by April 2011, and have an event to engage with the community in March 2011 to help us to start to develop our intentions and actions.

Our Board is committed to monitoring progress and reports are submitted regularly from all Directorates to provide internal and external assurances that we are compliant to legislative duties and responsible for reducing inequality.

NHS Sheffield equality and diversity intentions

NHS Sheffield will create an environment where differences are recognised and valued. We will do this by developing our practices as a fair and transparent organisation.

Our Corporate Equality, Diversity and Human Rights Strategy 2009 – 2012 sets the strategic direction for NHS Sheffield and makes a number of commitments to our workforce and our community. The Corporate Equality Group will review this strategy in light of the Equality Bill.

We will support, value and develop our workforce through leadership, training, and investment, encouraging research and development to aid decisions.

We will form strong relationships and engage with patients and staff to increase access and improve the services that we commission through engagement, consultation, monitoring and quality reviews, and equitable systems and practices.

We will use evidence generated by our staff working in partnership with the communities that we serve to underpin our commissioning decisions.

Please bear with us, we are rebuilding our Equality and Diversity pages, starting with the Single Equality Scheme page, to update them with information about the new Equality Act. More information will be available over the next four months.