New guidance on health inequalities and race published
08/08/18CCGs and NHS England are under obligations in exercising their functions to have regard to the need to reduce health inequalities. Almost all public authorities are under obligations to have due regard to the need to reduce inequalities (including on race) under s. 149 of the Equality Act 2010.
Recently published guidance from Public Health England aims to support local and national action on ethnic inequalities in health. It provides: a summary of information and data by ethnic group in England; examples of practical approaches to address ethnic inequalities in health; and case studies of local action to address ethnic health inequalities. Interestingly no one group has
It builds on earlier guidance (September 2017) Reducing health inequalities: system, scale and sustainability and NHS England resources.
Equalities issues are frequently raised in judicial review challenges to service reconfiguration and commissioning decisions, so this guidance is a useful tool and headline synthesis of the national picture. It is important to remember, however, that there are other protected characteristics as well as race, which should also be considered.
Local action on health inequalities: understanding and reducing ethnic inequalities in health