Barts Health Equality and Human Rights Impact Assessment Report

www.brap.org.ukIt should be noted that the EDS has some alignment with the Public Sector Equality Dutyand can help organisations in their response to equality legislation too – but it is not asubstitute for responding to those duties. It is also important to stress that the equalityanalysis below is not a substitute for the more detailed work that would be required todevelop the EDS in Barts Health (which would require more consultation and ‘grading’activities to baseline current performance).Positive and negative implications of the merger were assessed in two main ways: Using information from stakeholders directly describing potentially positive or negativeeffects of the merger in relation to equality and human rightsUsing other evidence on existing patterns of health inequalities, staff inequalities andinequalities in engagement and consultation with local people. Considering thisinformation alongside what is known about the merger process (taken mainly from theFull Business Case). This allowed brap to assess where the merger had the potential tocompound or reduce existing inequalities and human rights infringements. Where groupswith particular protected characteristics are potentially affected disproportionately this issignposted.Implications for compliance with the Public Sector Equality Duty was assessed byfirstly, examining existing inequalities and potential future inequalities as the merged Trustdevelops and then secondly, considering the implications of these for the merged Trust’sability to comply with the Public Sector Equality Duty. Clearly, this is different to anassessment of whether the merged Trust itself (and all of its associated policies andpublications will be compliant with the Act).Implications for protection and promotion of human rights was assessed by firstly,examining existing evidence about protection of human rights and potential future protectionof human rights as the merged Trust develops and then secondly, considering theimplications of this for the Trust’s statutory responsibilities in relation to the Human RightsAct.3. Equality and human rights analysisThe following equality and human rights analysis should be read in conjunction with theprevious initial screening equality impact assessment of the Outline Business Case andassociated documentation. This documentation includes a number of recommendationswhich were not necessarily responded to in the Full Business Case. Key issues from thisprevious work are not replicated in the following analysis, but are equally important to plansfor the merger in the future.190