NHS Birmingham and Solihull has been accredited with the RACE Equality Code Quality Mark in recognition of its work and commitment to support race equality throughout the organisation.
The RACE Code, established in 2020, stands for Reporting, Action, Composition and Education. It was founded by Dr Karl George MBE, a governance consultant working in the West Midlands, to help organisations improve race equality and to tackle discrimination within the workplace. The vision of organisations who are awarded the Code is to create transformational, sustainable and lasting change, achieving a competitive and diverse board and senior leadership team.
The Code’s Accountability Framework provides a set of standards, applicable to all types and sizes of organisations.
NHS Birmingham and Solihull has carried out an in depth self-assessment against the Code requirements, reviewing how inclusive the organisation is for staff, as well as putting in place an action plan for ongoing work to enable opportunity and improve diversity within the workforce - demonstrating a commitment to supporting diverse representation at all levels.
As part of this work, NHS Birmingham and Solihull has published a five-year Reducing Health Inequalities Strategy and in 2022 made seventeen pledges to improve health and race equality in health and social care in Birmingham and Solihull. The pledges include a commitment to improve diversity of the ICB’s Board, supporting Birmingham to become the first Anti-Racist City in the UK, and a commitment to a 10-year race equality delivery plan for the health sector with annual targets over the next decade.
Patrick Vernon, Interim Chair and Non-executive Director for Inequalities at NHS Birmingham and Solihull, said: “I am incredibly proud of what has been achieved in our first year as an Integrated Care Board.
“Our participation in the RACE Equality Code demonstrates the recognition and importance we place in racial equality across our System.
“We will continue in our commitment to sustainable and positive change ensuring NHS Birmingham and Solihull is a great place to work and reflects the population of the region we serve.”