Laws are now in place which are designed to protect people from unfair discrimination due to their personal characteristics. Referred to as ‘protected characteristics’, these include age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage & civil partnership, pregnancy & maternity, sex, race, religion & belief and sexual orientation.
‘A Fairer NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde’ explains how the organisation will uphold the law by addressing inequalities. This means, for example, making sure that services are working well for everyone and that people are getting information in a way they can understand. The document also covers people’s right not to be discriminated against in the workplace. It includes the organisation’s:
A Fairer NHSGGC 2025-29 is available in other formats such as easy read, large print, British Sign Language DVD and alternative languages. Please contact us with your request.
Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA)
EQIA is a vital part of NHSGGC’s overall approach to dealing with inequalities and discrimination. It means that services, policies and projects are thought about carefully in terms of their likely impact on different groups of people and on the various aspects of inequality.
The links listed on this page are NOT controlled by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. We take no responsibility for the contents, reliability or availability of the websites and we may not agree with views expressed within them.
This short session gives participants an understanding of what hate crime is and how to report if witnessed in the workplace. It is an important safeguarding learning opportunity for all members of staff working in frontline roles. For further information on hate crime and the NHSGGC response, visit our Hate Crime page.
The following dates are available for 2024 and will take place on MS Teams. To book, simply follow the Webropol link.
Equality Impact Assessments assess all organisational activity – including policy, plans, projects, service delivery and practice – in order to identify actions to address discrimination and promote equality.
Conducting EQIAs is a legal duty for NHSGGC and helps us provide services that are sensitive to inequalities and meet the needs of our diverse community.
Our interpreting service provides a range of services and resources for patients whose first language is not English and who may need communication support in a health setting. Support is also available for patients who are Deaf, hard of hearing, blind or deafblind.
It is the responsibility of NHSGGC staff to arrange interpreting support for patients using any of our healthcare services. It is therefore vital that staff know how to access the support available.
Training includes information on: how to use telephone interpreting; accessing BSL Online interpreting; booking face to face interpreters, requesting translations and direct patient access to telephone interpreting.
Sessions are run on Microsoft Teams. To book a place, please click on the link for the relevant date and time.
New on Turas Learn – the ‘Equality and Diversity Zone’
NHS Education for Scotland is pleased to announce the launch of the Equality and Diversity Zone on Turas Learn, NHS Education for Scotland’s platform for learning and support resources.
The Equality and Diversity Zone provides information and resources to support people at all levels to develop knowledge and skills in equality, diversity and human rights.
The resources you find here will help you to make your practice, services and workplace more accessible and inclusive, supporting better experience and outcomes.
We host and curate content from NHS Education for Scotland, NHS Boards, and other key partners on a Once for Scotland basis to make these resources as accessible as possible.
In the zone you will find:
information on equality duties, human rights and related tools and topics
a range of educational resources, including eLearning modules, guides and frameworks.
Anyone who works or volunteers in or with the public sector in Scotland (including third/voluntary sector or if you work in care homes, care at home or day care) can sign up for a Turas account. Log in with your Turas account to access eLearning modules and record the eLearning on your personal learning record.
Whether you are a student, support worker, clinician, administrator, project manager or Board member, there will be something for everyone.
Log into the Zone and you will find learning and practice support for:
Augmentative and alternative communication
Making communication even better
Corporate Parenting
Dementia and equality
Deaf awareness
Equal Partners in Care: Carer Aware, Caring Together
Equality, diversity and human rights
Equality impact assessment and planning for equality
Supreme Court Ruling Update – Thursday 17th April 2025
We are currently reviewing our policies in light of the Supreme Court’s ruling on 16 April 2025 that ‘sex’ in the Equality Act 2010 refers to biological sex.
NHSGGC Transitioning in the Workplace – Guidance for Managers Nov 24 (under review)
More information will become available on this section as we move across information from our old website. Please check back soon for more additions to this page.
In addition to helping you understand your rights as a patient, PASS will help you
Share your feedback or comments
Access your medical and clinical records
Make complaints about healthcare experiences.
What Will You Be Asked When Using the NHS?
The more we know about our patients – not just medical information but individual needs and preferences – the better the service we can provide. This is not just about gathering information – it is about making sure we are working with individuals, families and communities, rather then just providing identical treatment for everyone.
By law, we are asked to collect patient information on age, sex, disability, ethnicity, religion / belief and sexual orientation. This personal information is collected by staff in NHS hospitals, GP surgeries and other health centres. It is then used to ensure we are meeting the needs of our patient groups and for planning future services.
You might wonder why you are asked for some additional personal information. We know that a patient’s health is often affected by good or bad things happening in their lives. Most patients don’t know that it is helpful for us to know about these things or won’t feel comfortable bringing such matters up themselves. For this reason, our staff in many services are asking all patients about social circumstances that may be affecting your health or preventing you from getting the best out of the treatment we are offering.
For example, staff might ask whether you have money worries, trouble finding work, problems at home or in your relationships, or if you feel you are being treated badly or unfairly, for example because you belong to a particular ethnic group, have a disability, or because of your sexual orientation.
It is up to you what you choose to tell staff when they ask about these things. Sometimes, if you want us to, we can share the information with other services or people so that you can get support or help in dealing with the issue.
