Getting it right: core elements

Expectations for all NHSGGC staff

Treat people fairly – treat BME people fairly and without prejudice or stereotyping. NHSGGC has a zero tolerance policy on discrimination.

Know your community – have knowledge of the local community who may use their service, including an ethnicity and language breakdown.

Collect ethnicity data – always collect the ethnicity of patients using your service. This is mandatory in Scotland for Acute services. TrakCare care and EMIS enable you to record the ethnicity of people who use our services in the demographics pages. People can say ‘prefer not to say’ but we need to ask all people who use our services. Anyone who comes into contact with a patient and has responsibility for checking their demographics to confirm identification and should update their details including ethnicity. Patient demographics which includes ethnicity should be checked on every visit for every patient to a hospital to ensure it is fully updated. If available on paperwork prior to visit e.g. through a GP Referral, then whomever is logging this on the system should update demographics. The patient does not always need to be present for the first update. All patient must have their ethnicity recorded.

Prepare translated resources – have resources about your service ready, including consent to treatment forms, for your BME patients who may not speak English. Have a stock available in the languages you use most and know how to access others when required. For more information go to Clear to All  

Know how to access interpreting support – it is our responsibility to provide interpreting support for any patients using our services. Support is available either via telephone or face to face interpreters. For more information go to Interpreting Services  

Ensure patients know how to access interpreting support – patients who don’t speak English can use our telephone interpreting service to call your or any other NHSGGC service.  Patient leaflets are available for immediate download in 40 languages. See Direct Patient Access   information. Other languages can be provided for your patient.

Get feedback from BME patients – ensure that any patient engagement is inclusive of BME communities, including non-English speakers  

Know how to access staff training that covers race equality – you can log in to LearnPro   for the statutory and mandatory equality training

Source: Joseph Rowntree Foundation