Equality and Human Rights
Welcome to Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board’s (BCUHB) Strategic Equality Objectives and Action Plan for 2024-2028. This plan demonstrates our continuous commitment to promote and deliver equality, diversity and human rights in all that we do. The Health Board is committed to equity in health for our service users. We are committed to creating a fairer and more diverse workplace, where diversity is welcomed and people are valued. During 2020-2024, the Health Board has experienced the growing challenges facing the NHS as it responds to unprecedented service pressure, new medical technologies, and a changing workforce and different health issues.
As a Health Board, we will work to ensure that our statutory obligations to deliver the Public Sector Equality Duty and the Socio-economic Duty are understood and discharged. We will scrutinise implementation of our Strategic Equality Plan (SEP), agreed by our Health Board in 2024, and will strive to ensure that our organisation is fair, responsive, inclusive and accessible for all, as we work towards the goal to create a fairer, more equal Wales.
The Health Board recognises that for positive changes to happen within our organisation and the wider society, we need to identify the barriers that prevent people accessing healthcare. We need to address issues relating to access to services, infrastructure, socio-economic disadvantage and the diversity of our workforce and population. We need to work in partnership to remove barriers to achieve equality of outcomes and uphold people’s rights.
This plan acknowledges the evidence and recommendations in the strategic frameworks such as the Commission for Equality and Human Rights, Equality and Human Rights Monitor 2023, Is Wales Fairer? The Welsh Government’s Locked Out Report: liberating disabled people’s lives and rights in Wales beyond COVID-19 and Advancing Gender Equality in Wales Plan 2020-2023.
Other key national drivers for our Equality Objectives include the Anti-racist Wales Action Plan and LGBTQ+ Action Plan for Wales. We recognise that within the four year cycle of this plan the Welsh Government’s Disability Task Force will have led to a Disability Plan for Wales. The Health Board will incorporate the recommendations and actions into its plans, both within the SEP and key Health Board documents such as the Integrated Medium Plan (IMTP) and the Health Board Long Term Plan – Living Healthier, Staying Well.
The Health Board believes that equality is about providing personalised care based on an individual's needs. It is about treating everyone with dignity and respect. We must consistently communicate effectively, meet individual needs and continually review our services to ensure that they are and remain accessible and inclusive.
The Health Board would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to provide their views, ideas and feedback. They have shaped our priorities for action and formed the basis of the Equality Objectives within our Strategic Equality Action Plan.
- Objective A: Achieving equity by working in partnership – ‘nothing about you without you’
- Objective B: Achieving equity by providing high quality inclusive services
- Objective C: Achieving equity through Governance and Accountability
- Objective D: Achieving equity by being a kind and compassionate organisation
- Objective E: Achieving equity by innovation
How to contact the Equality Team
By E-mail
In the first instance, where possible, please email: BCU.Equality@wales.nhs.uk or Contact the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS).
Alternative formats
All documents referred to can be made available in other languages or formats upon request.
For other formats, please contact:
Patient Advice and Liaison Service
Email: BCU.PALS@wales.nhs.uk
Telephone: 03000 851234
Please note some historical documents included on these pages may have links to documents which are no longer active. If you require access to these please contact the Equality Team.