• Improving recording of your communication needs so that we can consistently meet those needs and you don’t have to tell us multiple times
• Wherever possible, gathering this information at first contact so we are aware of your communication needs from the beginning and can communicate with you in the way you need
• Providing letters and patient information in Plain English, and increasing the availability of Easy Read versions
• Particular focus on how improvements to communication can address barriers and improve access, experience and outcomes for people with low levels of literacy, people whose main language isn’t English, people with sensory impairments, people who are neurodiverse and people with cognitive impairments.

We are here to provide the best possible care in every community. For us, this means knowing and working with our communities (the places we live and the groups we are part of) and providing different support depending on different needs. This helps us achieve greater fairness in access to our services, experience of services and in the difference services make to people’s health. We call this fairness ‘health equity’.

 We are working with our communities, staff (many of whom are part of our local communities), third sector and statutory partners to improve the health of culturally diverse communities, people on low incomes or living in deprived areas and people in inclusion health and vulnerable groups. This includes work to prevent ill-health and to improve care for people who already have health conditions.

‘Communities of Interest’ are groups of people who share an identity, for example people with a learning disability, or those who share an experience, for example the homeless community. People may have multiple experiences, identify with multiple groups, or move in and out of communities. We are working to identify and address inequity in the health of:

• People living in deprived communities
• People from culturally diverse backgrounds, particularly Black, Asian and other minority ethnic communities
• Refugees, asylum seekers, vulnerable migrant communities
• Gypsy, Traveller and Roma people
• People with long term health conditions
• People with physical or sensory impairments, or are deaf or blind
• People with a learning disability
• People who are neurodivergent (eg autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia)
• People with mental health support needs
• People with mobility issues
• Homeless people
• People leaving prison
• Sex workers
• People with drug or alcohol issues
• LGBTQIA+ communities
• Unpaid carers, including young carers

Gathering and using feedback from patients, carers and communities, and data from our services, helps us to identify and mitigate any unintended consequences of changes we plan to make in our services or policies.

The Patient Safety Incident Response Framework is a national initiative to change the way we investigate patient safety incidents. The new approach will make sure that the focus of incident investigations is on the learning from incidents and near misses by keeping people at the heart of our investigations. We’ll engage with the staff and patients affected by the incidents to investigate and put learning into practice.

Read our Patient Safety Incident Response Plan for more information.

Patient Safety Incident Response Policy 

The Equality Act 2010 protects people against unlawful discrimination in their use of services and employment on the grounds of nine protected characteristics. These are:

• age
• disability
• gender reassignment
• marriage and civil partnership (in employment only)
• pregnancy and maternity
• race (this includes ethnic or national origin, or nationality)
• religion or belief
• sex
• sexual orientation

This means the following behaviour is unlawful:

• Direct discrimination. This is when an individual with a protected characteristic is treated in a worse manner because of that protected characteristic.
• Direct discrimination by perception. This means treating one person less favourably than someone else, because you incorrectly think they have a protected characteristic.
• Direct discrimination by association. This means treating a person worse because of the protected characteristic of someone they know or are associated with, such as a family member.
• Victimisation. This is when someone is treated unfavourably because they have complained or spoken up about an issue relating to the Equality Act 2010.
• Harassment. This is unwanted behaviour related to a protected characteristic which has the purpose or effect of violating someone’s dignity or which creates a hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment.
• Direct discrimination arising from disability. This means treating a disabled person unfavourably because of something connected with their disability when this cannot be objectively justified.
• Failing to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people is also a form of discrimination. A reasonable adjustment aims to make sure a disabled person can use our services as close as it is reasonably possible to get to the standard usually offered to non-disabled people.

Citizens Advice provides information for you to check if you’ve experienced discrimination as defined by the Equality Act Check if you’ve experienced discrimination – Citizens Advice

Under the Equality Act, there are specific Public Sector Equality Duties. You can read about those on our Equality and Diversity page, where there is also information about how we use the NHS Equality Delivery System (EDS) improvement tool to assess our performance on equality and shape future action.

The Accessible Information Standard aims to make sure that people who have a disability, impairment or sensory loss get information that they can access and understand, and any communication support that they need from health and care services.

This requires us to:

1. Ask people if they have any information or communication needs and find out how to meet their needs.
2. Record those needs clearly and in a set way.
3. Highlight or flag the person’s file or notes so it is clear that they have information or communication needs and how to meet those needs.
4. Share information about people’s information and communication needs with other providers of NHS and adult social care, when they have consent or permission to do so.
5. Take steps to ensure that people receive information which they can access and understand, and receive communication support if they need it.

You can find out more about how we make our website accessible here

NHS England and the charity, Sense, have made an animated video about your rights under the Accessible Information Standard Accessible Information Standard – YouTube

Healthwatch Leeds have also produced a video on your rights to clear communication. You can watch it here: Welcome to your local Healthwatch – Your Healthwatch Leeds.

CQC describes fundamental standards below which your care must never fall. You can find out more here: The fundamental standards – Care Quality Commission (cqc.org.uk)

The Armed Forces Covenant is a promise that together we acknowledge and understand that those who serve or have served in the Armed Forces, and their families, should be treated with fairness and respect in the communities, economy, and society they serve with their lives. That means those who serve in the Armed Forces, whether Regular or Reserve, those who have served in the past, and their families, should face no disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of our services and that special consideration is appropriate in some cases, especially for those who have given most such as the injured and the bereaved.

You can find out more about how the Covenant supports you, as a member of the Armed Forces community.