Patient Equality and Inclusion

Equality and Inclusion | Equality Reporting | Patient Equality and Inclusion | Staff Equality and Inclusion


Patient equality and inclusion means making sure the way we plan and run our services are fair for everyone, so that anyone can use them when they need to.

  • This means making changes and providing extra support for people with disabilities.
  • It means providing help for people who don’t speak English as their main language.
  • It means developing action plans to make improvements in our services.
  • And it means designing our services in a certain way to help particular groups of people.

Armed Forces Friendly

Latest armed forces news:

Bonfire night can be difficult for some members of the armed forces community, with the noises, smells, and sights of fireworks and bonfires triggering difficult responses in some community members.

The brief guide below provides some information on managing bonfire night, and signposting to support organisations for members of the armed forces community:

Supporting Our Veterans: A Consultation:

The Government is calling on UK veterans, their families, and organisations to share their views and experiences in a consultation to help shape the future of veteran policies.

The consultation closes at 5pm on 4 January 2024. Please use the link here to complete the consultation, share and find out further information.

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/supporting-our-veterans-a-consultation

Armed forces covenant banner stating proudly supporting those who serve
Armed Forces Covenant Logo

Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is committed to

armed forces friendly policy and practices in employment and the delivery of our health care services.

The Trust understands, respects, and supports, the commitment and sacrifices that members of the armed forces community make to ensure the safety of this country, and we understand our moral duty to the community and our obligation to show due regard that no member of the community suffers disadvantage when accessing our services when compared to those not in the armed forces community.

As a Trust we understand the many and complex challenges that the armed forces community and their relatives can face, and we strive to deliver services and offer employment opportunities with understanding, sensitivity, and support.

We have signed the Armed Forces Covenant and our commitments can be viewed in our Covenant document here – Covenant Signed Bridgewater NHS 10.2022.

In 2023 we were honoured to become a Veteran Aware Trust, a demonstration of our ongoing commitment to improving NHS care for veterans, reservists, members of the Armed Forces and their families.

Veteran Aware
Veteran Aware logo

We have a dedicated armed forces lead who champions armed forces community issues across the organisation, see contact details below, and we collaborate with local and national organisations to ensure we continue to learn from best practice so that we can progress in our journey as an armed forces friendly Trust.

Working for us

Defence employer recognition scheme bronze award banner
Defence Employer Recognition Scheme Bronze Award Logo

Bridgewater has been awarded the Defence Employers Recognition Scheme Bronze Award in recognition of our efforts in supporting and welcoming the armed forces community, which includes ex-armed forces, reservists, and their families, into work in the NHS.

In 2023 we are committed to signing up to NHS Employers Step Into Health programme, and already offer a guaranteed interview to members of the armed forces community who use the armed forces identifier on NHS Jobs applications and meet the essential criteria for a role.

Accessing our services

As part of our commitments and legal obligations we offer priority treatment to serving and former armed forces personnel where treatment relates to military service; this is based on clinical need as we know that there will be circumstances where a civilians clinical need must take priority. Please alert staff to your status as a serving forces member or military veteran so that this can be noted in your patient record.

We also ensure that armed forces families are not disadvantaged, for example when moving into the area and joining an existing service waiting list. Again please alert staff so that information can be noted in your patient record.

Details are provided below on specific services for the armed forces community, including services for physical health and wellbeing, mental health, and health for homelessness. There is more information on support for disabled veterans, support for families, and financial support at:

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/armed-forces-community/veterans-service-leavers-non-mobilised-reservists/

LGBT veterans independent review publication

The report into the treatment of LGBT service personnel prior to lifting the ban in 2000 on gay people serving in the British Armed Forces has been published. The review, chaired by Lord Etherton, examined the lived experience of personnel and made subsequent recommendations to the government.

We recognise that the publication of this report may be upsetting and for some may trigger past memories and experience. Op COURAGE: The Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Service is available for any veterans or reservists who are affected by the publication of this
report. Details can be found at www.nhs.uk/opcourage.

Additionally, sexual assault referral centres (SARCs) offer medical, practical and emotional support to anyone who has been raped sexually assaulted or abused. They have specially trained doctors, nurses and support workers who provide a safe space and dedicated care.
Help is available 24 hours a day for everyone, whether the incident was recent or non-recent. Individuals can contact their nearest SARC to make an appointment. Further information is available at www.nhs.uk/sarcs

OpRESTORE

Formerly called the Veterans Trauma Network OpRESTORE: The Veterans Physical Health and Wellbeing Service is a service for anyone who has served one day or more in the UK armed forces who has acquired a significant, lasting physical injury or illness as a result of their service.

OpRESTORE is accessible via GP referral, and through a network of civilian and military consultants and welfare support via military charities takes a holistic approach to restoring health and wellbeing. For more information go to https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/armed-forces-community/veterans-service-leavers-non-mobilised-reservists/

OpCOURAGE

From April 2023 OpCOURAGE will be delivered under a single service specification, having previously been commissioned as three individual services:

  • Veterans’ Mental Health Transition, Intervention and Liaison Service (TILS)
  • Veterans’ Mental Health Complex Treatment Service (CTS)
  • Veterans’ Mental Health High Intensity Service (HIS)

This will make the service user journey smoother and more consistent across England. Regionally based mental health provider collaboratives will be led by lead providers, in the North West and North East this is Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust. Regional contact details can be found in the image and document to follow:

Op COMMUNITY: Armed Forces Community Support

Following a robust engagement exercise with service users and providers on an appropriate name for the single point of contact service for Armed Forces families, this is now called Op COMMUNITY: Armed Forces Community Support.

This model of care navigation for those in the wider Armed Forces community seeks to ensure individuals and families are able to access NHS services without disadvantage. This is particularly important for mobile service families and those transitioning from military to
civilian life. Op COMMUNITY is being piloted in the following areas and can be contacted using the details below:

NHS Sussex Integrated Care Board (ICB) and NHS Kent & Medway ICB
• T: 01273 403693
• E: afn.admin@nhs.net
• W: www.armedforcesnetwork.org

NHS Hertfordshire & West Essex ICB
• T: 07908 209 912
• E: HWE.AFCfamiliesveterans@nhs.net

NHS Humber and North Yorkshire ICB
• T: 01609 765315
• E: hnyicb-ny.spocmilitaryfamilies@nhs.net

NHS Dorset ICB
• T: 01202 584428
• E: dhc.dorset.veterans@nhs.net

NHS Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland ICB
• T: 0116 2256858

NHS North Central London ICB
• T:0800 999 3697
• E: velliott@dmws.org.uk

Details for Op COMMUNITY in NHS Cheshire and Merseyside ICB as well as NHS Bath and NE Somerset, Swindon & Wiltshire ICB will be forthcoming.

Op FORTITUDE

Veterans across the UK will have access to Op FORTITUDE, a new dedicated referral pathway for homeless veterans, including those sleeping on the streets.

The hotline is part of a two-year £8.55 million programme to fulfil the Government’s pledge to end veteran rough sleeping. The Veterans’ Strategy Action Plan 2022-24 sets out the intention to achieve this within the current Parliament, but thanks to new funding this is set to
be achieved ahead of schedule.

The housing hotline, delivered by Riverside group, will give homeless veterans a single point of contact to get them the help they need. Op FORTITUDE staff will refer callers to a network of support, including housing providers, charities and local authorities. The programme aims to support 1,300 veterans over two years across almost 60 housing complexes, ranging from apartment blocks to shared houses.

Projects delivered by nine housing providers will support veterans to thrive in civilian life. Wraparound services include specialist medical care, connections with local communities and the tools they need to get jobs.

All nine projects will be ready to take Op FORTITUDE referrals by September 2023, expanding the pathway’s network of housing providers from 10 to 14. This includes plugging into a network of 650 homes across Scotland with Veteran Homes Scotland, as well as a brand new consortium of housing across the North West of England.

Veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness and the organisations working with them are encouraged to contact the Op FORTITUDE hotline from Monday 3 July 2023 on 0800 952 0774 or through a secure web portal at riv.org.uk/opfortitude.

Further information can be found at www.riverside.org.uk/care-and-support/veterans/

Operation Stirling

Age UK, in partnership with Fighting With Pride, is delivering Operation Sterling – a programme to help older LGBT+ veterans, who were adversely affected by the ban on LGBT+ personnel serving in the Armed Forces.

Before 12 January 2000, there was a ban on LGBT+ personnel serving in the British Armed Forces – those who did sign up were forced to hide their identity. Because of the ban, thousands of LGBT+ service personnel were removed or forced to leave service. For some, this meant not only losing their jobs, but also friends and family, as well as access to pensions that they’d earned while serving the country.

Operation Sterling will provide telephone based support, advice and casework to older LGBT+ veterans through Age UK’s Advice Line; combining the expertise of Age UK together with the expert knowledge of Fighting With Pride. Operation Stirling will be able to help older
LGBT+ veterans access financial support, housing options and social care.

LGBT+ veterans who served in the Armed Forces who would like to access Operation Sterling’s specialised support, can do so by visiting the Fighting With Pride website to start the referral process.

Begin the referral process on the Fighting With Pride website

Little Troopers

Little Troopers is a registered charity supporting children with one or both parents serving in the armed forces regulars or reserves.

Children of armed forces families can face unique challenges, especially through repeated separation from serving parents, and frequent home and school moves as families are relocated to new bases and areas.

Little Troopers offers a new therapy programme for children of armed forces families, this includes free one to one psychotherapy sessions, community therapy sessions for older children, and a new on demand session for adults on how to support their children at home.

For more information go to https://www.littletroopers.net/little-troopers-therapy-programme/

Signposting to useful information

You will find below links to relevant support organisations for the armed forces community in our areas:

More information on all these organisations can be found in the document below:

Contact details

For questions and comments regarding the Trust’s armed forces friendly work please contact the lead at ruth.besford@nhs.net

Navajo – supporting our LGBTIQ community

The Trust recognises that for some members of the LGBTIQ community exclusion, lack of awareness and understanding in public services, stereotyping, and homophobia, biphobia and transphobia, has led to inequality and a higher incidence of certain health issues.

Bridgewater is committed to working with our LGBTIQ communities and staff to address issues that lead to exclusion and inequality.

We are very proud to have been re-accredited as Navajo Merseyside and Cheshire Charter Mark holders in 2022.

Ukrainian Hate Crime Leaflet

Cheshire Police have produced a hate crime reporting leaflet in Ukrainian for all organisations, public and private, to use when Ukrainian individuals and families access their services.

The leaflet is intended to encourage reporting of hate crime by the Ukrainian people living in Cheshire either as settled citizens or escaping the war in Ukraine at this time.

Hate Crime Leaflet – UKRANIAN

 

What patient inclusion means to Bridgewater

Patient inclusion is fundamentally important for Bridgewater. This is reflected in our mission and values – improving health and wellbeing in the communities we serve, through patient centred and locally led services.

Within our diverse communities there are groups with particular needs that must be met to allow them to access services and be fully and effectively involved in all aspects of their health and care. Needs could be physical, communication and language, or awareness and understanding. These may be as a result for example of disability, culture, religion, or sexual orientation, or may be particular needs arising from their role as carers or employees.

Communication and language support in services

Good communication is very important for ensuring effective and safe interactions between staff and patients. For people with disabilities affecting communication, or where English is not a person’s first language, this means providing language interpretation and translation, other communication support, and alternative information formats to patients, and, where appropriate, their family members or carers.

The support that can be provided is diverse and includes community languages such as Polish, British Sign Language, Arabic or Urdu; communication support such as speech to text reporters, or Makaton; or alternative information formats such as audio files, easy read, and Braille.

The whole of the NHS, including Bridgewater, is working hard to ensure it meets the legal requirements related to language and communication needs. We are working hard to identify and record these needs for our patients, but we know we are not there yet. You can help us by telling us about any language and communication needs you, or your family member, or the person you provide care for has, asking the service you are using to record this in the patient notes.

Communication and language support for corporate information

If you need any information from the Trust in another language or format please either contact the service you are using if you query is related to service specific information, or the Patient Services Team for general Trust information:

Telephone Number: 0800 587 0562

TextRelay: 18001 0800 587 0562

Email: bchft.patientservices@nhs.net

Webform: https://www.bridgewater.nhs.uk/aboutus/patientservices/

Patient equality and inclusion reports

We produce two reports annually that relate to patient equality and inclusion. The Public Sector Equality Duty Annual Report and EDS2 can be viewed on the Trust webpage.