Wrightington, Wigan & Leigh NHS Foundation Trust


your hospitals, your health, our priority

Equality Delivery System (EDS)

Over the past year, the Trust has been working hard to implement the NHS Equality Delivery System (EDS) - the new framework for Equality and Human Rights in the NHS.  The EDS is a tool to drive up equality performance and embed equality into mainstream NHS business.
The EDS is a public commitment of how NHS Organisations plan to meet the needs and wishes of local people and staff, and meet the duties placed on them by the Equality Act 2010.  It also sets out how, they recognise the differences between people, and how they aim to make sure that any gaps and inequalities are identified and addressed.

The EDS is split into four measurable areas:

1. Better Health Outcomes for all
2. Improved patient access & experience
3. Empowered, engaged & well supported staff
4. Inclusive leadership at all levels

Against these four areas there are a set of 18 outcomes.  These range from service quality to how staff, are managed in the Trust. 

Wherever you go for NHS services you will find organisations now working to the same set of goals around equality, diversity and human rights.

How does it work?

It works by ensuring that all of the work of the Trust is benefiting protected groups in different ways.  It is also about creating a system where our stakeholders are the ones that are assessing our performance rather than the Trust doing a simple self assessment.  This includes us providing lots of detailed evidence to our stakeholders who then get together to discuss how we are doing.

What are protected characteristics?

Protected characteristics refer to all the different groups of people that are covered under the Equality Act 2010 – the main piece of legislation that protects people from discrimination in the UK.  These are:

  • Age
  • Disability
  • Ethnicity/Race
  • Gender
  • Gender Reassignment
  • Marriage & Civil Partnership
  • Pregnancy & Maternity
  • Religion & Beliefs
  • Sexual Orientation

What are the benefits?

The introduction of the EDS will help to recognise, encourage and highlight the undoubted good practice and evidence that already exists at the Trust but at the same time ensure there is better or consistent engagement with our local communities, any gaps are identified and addressed and become more reflective of the community it serves at all grades and positions.

How are we doing?

March 2012:
In March 2012, All NHS organisations were required to undertake a self assessment of current performance against the EDS and grade themselves accordingly against each of the 18 outcomes as: 

  • RED - Underdeveloped
  • AMBER - Developing
  • GREEN - Achieving
  • PURPLE - Excelling

Our overall scores were graded as ‘developing’ at this stage with some outcomes graded at ‘achieving’. These self assessments were agreed collaboratively with Stakeholders. Evidence collation included:

  • A Survey sent to all Public Foundation Trust Members to assess progress against Goals 1 and 2
  • A Focus Group Event was held in February 2012 to assess progress against Goals 1 and 2.  This was a joint venture with NHS Ashton, Leigh and Wigan; Public Health, Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Trust and Wigan Borough LINKs
  • Public, patients and staff were encouraged to complete an on-line EDS Survey in order to assess progress against Goals 1 and 2
  • A Staff Survey was circulated to all staff to assess progress against Goals 3 and 4
  • A Joint Staff Network and Champion EDS Consultation meeting was held in February 2012 to assess progress against all 4 goals.

 PDF Document Find out more about our EDS Scores and Equality Objectives

 PDF Document View Our EDS Evidence Report


External weblink Find out more about the EDS

March 2013:
Each year, organisations and local interests are required to assess progress and carry out a fresh grading exercise. In March 2013, Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust commenced an Annual Review of progress and grades. 

Details about this review will be published shortly.

If in the meantime, you require any further information, there are a number of ways that you can contact us, please follow the link below:

External weblink Contact us for more information