Equality Delivery System

The Equality Delivery System (EDS) for the NHS is now available to the NHS.

The NHS has been sponsored and supported by the Equality and Diversity Council (EDC) to develop the EDS for the NHS. Work on the EDS was initiated by the EDC in early 2010. The EDC is a sub-committee of the NHS Management Board. Sir David Nicholson, the NHS Chief Executive, chairs both groups.
Much work on the EDS takes its inspiration from prior NHS work, including that of NHS North West. Many NHS staff have contributed to the develoment of the EDS, along with patient and community groups and other stakeholders. NHS East Midlands leads EDS developments on behalf of the NHS.

The EDC was established in 2009 and includes Director Generals of the Department of Health, representatives from each strategic health authority and other interests. The EDC supports NHS staff and organisations to work closely with the communities they serve to deliver services that are personal, fair and diverse; to champion continuous improvement in the quality of patient services; promote good practice; and support the NHS to implement the Equality Act 2010.

The EDS is one of the first products initiated by the EDC. The purpose of the EDS is to drive up equality performance and embed equality into mainstream NHS business. It has been designed to help NHS organisations, in the current and new NHS structures, to meet :

• the requirements of the public sector Equality Duty
• equality aspects of the NHS Constitution
• equality aspects of the NHS Outcomes Framework 
• equality aspects of CQC's Essential Standards 
• equality aspects of the Human Resources Transition Framework

Equality Delivery System documents:

	The Equality Delivery System for the NHS The EDS is a NHS product, initially based on pioneering work by NHS North West. It has been developed through the leadership and resources of NHS East Midlands, and published by them on behalf of the NHS.
	EDS Equality Analysis The NHS Equality & Diversity Council (EDC) has prioritised the Equality Delivery System (EDS) as the best means of helping the NHS improve its equality performance for patients, communities and staff, whatever their background.
	EDS Grades Manual  The EDS will support NHS commissioners and providers to deliver better outcomes for patients and communities and better working environments for staff, which are personal, fair and diverse.
	EDS Statement on Costs and Benefits In June 2011, the Government Equalities Office published its Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) for the costs and benefits of creating a single set of specific duties to underpin the new Public Sector Equality Duty.

Please note that use of the EDS does not automatically lead to better equality performance. For this to happen, the EDS must be used well, championed by committed leadrership with a workforce that is supported to be confident and competent in dealing with equality.

The EDS work is being led by Tim Rideout (CEO of NHS Leicester City, currently assigned to work on setting up the NHS Commissioning Board) on behalf of the EDC, and by NHS East Midlands on behalf of the NHS. The specific EDS proposals were developed by a Working Group which includes representatives from strategic health authorities, primary care trusts, NHS Employers and the Care Quality Commission, supported by Department of Health officials. Tim is supported by an EDS Support Team, led by Maqsood Ahmad.

The EDS is made available to the NHS for immediate use. In particular, the EDS can be used to help NHS organisations to meet the both the public sector Equality Duty and the Specific Duties of the public sector Equality Duty (which are expected to be confirmed by Parliament in early September 2011).