Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Standards

Our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) work is overseen through the Trust’s EDI governance Programme Board and Workforce Group.

These groups help make sure that equity, equality, diversity, inclusion, belonging and human rights are embedded across our culture and reflected in the way we plan, deliver and review our work.

This includes:

reviewing progress and action plans
developing and monitoring EDI priorities
meeting NHS equality standards and frameworks
improving experiences and outcomes for staff and service users
making sure our policies, services and decision-making are fair and inclusive

Our work is informed by national standards and frameworks, including the Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES), Workforce Disability Equality Standard (WDES), Equality Delivery System (EDS2) and Patient and Carers Race Equality Framework (PCREF).

NHS EDI Improvement Plan

The NHS EDI Improvement Plan sets out how NHS organisations can improve equality, diversity and inclusion for staff, strengthen belonging and create fairer working environments.

The plan recognises that people can face more than one form of inequality or disadvantage at the same time. These experiences can overlap and create barriers that cannot be understood through a single protected characteristic alone.

The plan includes six high-impact intersectional actions, designed to recognise that people have complex and multiple identities, and that different forms of inequality or disadvantage can combine to create barriers.

The plan focuses on tackling discrimination, harassment and unequal treatment across the NHS workforce. It also supports organisations to create cultures where people feel safe, respected and able to thrive.

The NHS EDI Improvement Plan:

sets out why equality, diversity and inclusion are essential to a caring, safe and effective NHS
explains the actions needed to improve staff experience and reduce inequality
supports NHS organisations to deliver and monitor change
provides a framework for integrated care boards and trusts to develop local improvement plans

At the North London NHS Foundation Trust, this work supports our ambition to create a culture where everyone feels they belong and can reach their full potential.

The Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES)

The Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES) helps NHS organisations understand and improve the experiences of staff from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds.

WRES uses workforce data and NHS Staff Survey results to identify where inequalities exist in areas such as recruitment, career progression, disciplinary action, bullying, harassment and representation in senior leadership.

The standard is made up of nine indicators, which help organisations compare the experiences of ethnically diverse staff with those of White staff and identify where further action is needed.

WRES supports NHS organisations to:

improve equality of opportunity
reduce discrimination, bullying and harassment
increase representation in leadership roles
create fairer recruitment and progression processes
strengthen staff experience, belonging and retention

At the North London NHS Foundation Trust, WRES helps us track progress, identify areas for improvement and take action to create a more inclusive workplace for everyone.

Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES) Report and Action Plan 2025 [pdf] 768KB

Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES) Action Plan 2023-24

The Workforce Disability Equality Standard (WDES)

The Workforce Disability Equality Standard (WDES) is designed to improve the experiences of disabled staff and people with long term health conditions working in the NHS.

WDES is made up of 10 measures which compare the experiences of disabled and non-disabled staff across areas such as recruitment, career progression, bullying and harassment, access to workplace adjustments and senior leadership representation.

WDES helps organisations to:

improve support for disabled staff and those with long-term health conditions
make workplace adjustments more accessible and effective
reduce discrimination bullying and harassment
create fairer opportunities for recruitment and career progression
improve staff wellbeing, experience and retention
increase the representation of disabled staff in leadership roles

At North London NHS Foundation Trust, WDES helps us understand the experiences of disabled staff, identify areas for improvement and take action to create a more inclusive working environment.

Workforce Disability Equality Standard (WDES) Report and Action Plan 2025 [pdf] 881KB

Workforce Disability Equality Standard (WDES) Action Plan 2023-24

Equality Delivery Standard (EDS2)

The Equality Delivery System (EDS2) is an NHS framework that helps organisations improve equality, diversity and inclusion patients, communities and staff.

EDS2 supports NHS organsiations to review their performance against four areas:

Better health outcomes for all
Improved patient access and experience
Empowered, engaged and included staff
Inclusive leadership at all levels

It also helps organisations meet their responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Equality Duty.

At the North London NHS Foundation Trust, EDS2 helps us work with staff, service users and local communities to identify where improvements are needed and take action to reduce inequalities.

Visit the national EDS website: NHS England EDS 2. for further information about the NHS Equality Delivery System.

The Accessible Information Standard (AIS)

The Accessible Information Standards (AIS) sets out a specific, consistent approach to identifying, recording, flagging, sharing and meeting the information and communication support needs of patients, service users, carers and parents with a disability, impairment or sensory loss.

Improvement Framework

The Community Language Translation and Interpreting Services supports the provision of consistent, high-quality community language translation and interpreting services by the NHS to people with limited English proficiency. Community languages are defined here as languages used by minority groups or communities where a majority language exists (for example, English in the UK). For more information please visit: NHS England, Improvement framework: community language translation and interpreting services.

Patient Safety Healthcare Inequalities Framework and Translation and Interpretation Improvement Framework

The Patient Safety Healthcare Inequalities Framework sets out five principles to reduce patient safety healthcare inequalities across the NHS. These principles align with the aims of NHS England’s Patient safety strategy and Core20PLUS5 approach for adults and for children and young people to address healthcare inequalities. For more information please visit: NHS England, Patient safety healthcare inequalities reduction framework.

Equalities Evidence Base

Find out more about Service User and Carer Involvement at NLFT.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Standards