How we will monitor progress

People who were involved in developing this told us that we needed to show that we are making progress against the commitments listed in this Scheme.

The Mutuality and Equality Governance Committee is made up of members of the Board and senior managers from different parts of NHS Lothian. This committee has the main responsibility for making sure that NHS Lothian does what the Scheme sets out. Contact one of the equality contacts and see more information about this committee at our Consultations and Involvement section.

In addition to this, NHS Lothian has a number of other committees that will look at different aspects of this Scheme. For example the Human Resources Equality & Diversity Sub Group looks at the employment parts of the Scheme. The Impact Assessment Steering Group oversees how NHS Lothian is improving its impact assessment practice.

Each year we will produce a report showing what progress has been made. We will also say what issues still need work. We have agreed with the people who steered the development of this Scheme that we will run an annual involvement event. At this event, people from communities across Lothian will be asked to scrutinise our progress and hold NHS Lothian to account.

We will then publish the final version of this annual report in June of each year. Past annual reports and equality schemes are published on our Key Documents section. 

A new equality law

Equality law has changed a lot in the last few decades. The law changed dramatically in 2010 with a new Equality Act that has brought together all the current separate equality laws. For more information about the new Equality Act, see the UK Government Equalities Office website at:

www.equalities.gov.uk/equality_bill.aspx

You can also contact the Equality & Human Rights Commission:

Scotland helpline: 0845 604 5510

Website: www.equalityhumanrights.com

The new Act will include a new equality duty that puts different requirements on the public sector to the duties we currently have. We do not yet know what these new responsibilities will be. The law will change during the lifetime of this Scheme and we will keep it up to date.