Discrimination, harassment
or oppression might be related to: ability, age, bodily appearance
and decoration, class, creed, caste, culture, gender, health
status, relationship status, mental health, offending background,
place of origin, political beliefs, race, responsibility for
dependants, religion and sexual orientation.
Equalityis about creating a
fairer society where everyone can participate and has the
opportunity to fulfil their potential. It is backed by legislation
designed to address unfair discrimination based on membership of a
particular group.
Diversityis about
the recognition and valuing of difference in its broadest sense. It
is about creating a working culture and practices that recognise,
respect, value and harness difference for the benefit of the
organisation and the individual, including
patients.
Equality and
diversity are not interchangeable – they need to be
progressed together. There is no equality of opportunity if
difference is not recognised and valued.
In order to demonstrate the
core competences in promoting equality and valuing diversity GPs
will require knowledge, skills and appropriate attitudes that will
enable them to:
-
Treat colleagues, patients, carers and others
equitably and with respect
-
Act in ways that recognise that people are
different and do not discriminate against people because of those
differences
-
Act in ways that acknowledge people’s right
to make their own decisions and recognise their responsibilities,
for example in concordance with treatment agreed between the
specialty registrar (GP) and patient
-
Provide information in ways that help people to
exercise their rights
-
Value people’s beliefs and preferences in
clinical and everyday working
-
Challenge behaviour that infringes the rights of
others
-
Recognise and take action to address
discrimination and oppression in self and others
-
Act in ways compliant with employer law,
disability discrimination legislation and best practice in
recruitment; encourage others to do so
-
Interpret people’s rights in a way
consistent with employer’s policies and relevant professional
standards
-
Develop communication skills including working
with interpreters to deal with patients from diverse
backgrounds
-
Recognise the importance of individual differences
and social context to health, illness and health care when dealing
with patients from ethnically diverse
backgrounds
-
Recognise the concepts of ethnicity and
culture
-
Recognise the concepts of diversity and equality
and in context perspectives on migration, demography of cultural
groups, experience of socio-economic disadvantage and patterns of
illness and disease
-
Recognise appropriate behaviour and specific
practical knowledge, e.g. nutrition, naming systems, religion,
attitudes towards illness, death, pregnancy,
etc.
1. The consultation
