You are required to write an essay that demonstrates your understanding of equality and diversity within healthcare settings.
A case study has been provided for you to use as the basis of your essay. This is located in the “Download Assessor Guidance” section below.
Your essay will need to include the following in relation to the themes presented in the case study:
• Explain how equality and diversity can be promoted within healthcare.
• Explain how prejudice and discrimination may lead to the disempowerment of individuals.
• Discuss individual rights within healthcare settings and how these may, or may not, be met.
• Identify equality and diversity legislation that is relevant to healthcare settings and discuss the Equality Act 2010 in detail.
You must apply the case study to each discussion and explanation outlined above.
The essay should be written in paragraphs which flow; it is therefore recommended that you plan your essay before you start to write it.
You must attempt to include some conclusions and recommendations towards the end of your essay.
Relevant theory must be referenced where appropriate and a references list and bibliography provided.
The essay should be a maximum of 2,000 words in length.
This word limit is the absolute maximum you are permitted. If you are over the word limit for this assignment in any way you will receive your assignment back without further comment or feedback.
Case study has been uploaded separately
Equality is achieved when everybody in a healthcare setting is exposed to equal opportunity without any form of discrimination based on their underlying characteristics. Several years of chasing equality amongst each other, but we are yet to achieve that. On the other hand, diversity requires that people are treated with respect and their beliefs, values, lifestyles, and culture are appreciated. It is about accepting the differences that exist between people and attaching positivity to them. The lack of equality is usually because of the socioeconomic disparities that exist amongst groups. The existence of health inequalities affects the life expectancy in some groups. Across the United Kingdom, different people are treated differently depending on who they are in society and what they are worth (Salway et al., 2020). The same inequality is extended in the health system, where access to healthcare services and service satisfaction varies depending on socioeconomic factors like race and financial ability. Although the Equality Act makes condemns discrimination by association, it is still felt in healthcare settings.
In 2013, the NHS published a board paper that outlined how it would improve and promote equality in the health sector. NHS observed inequalities ranging from healthcare outcomes to life expectancy. The average population is expected to live up to 30 years more than people from deprived places. It further established that people from the most impoverished areas were more likely to live with disabilities than those from the most prosperous. The Equality Act 2010 tried to reduce the rates of inequalities, but years later, even the people protected under this Act still experience health inequalities.
Equality and diversity should be mandatory training in all healthcare settings. Workers in these areas should be able to work in non-discriminatory ways across all levels. The NHS is also working towards ensuring it delivers to the patients and staff as promised. One of the approaches of NHS towards achieving this is EDS2 which incorporates all the stakeholders to achieve the goals of improving health outcomes, inclusive leadership, improved patient access, quality healthcare services offered to patients, a representative and supported workforce. For instance, Salome from the case study was undergoing hardships but did not know where to report the matter. She is being bullied by Lynn, who is making her take up her tasks, and even work during breaks. However, even after she got the platform to report the matter to the right people, nobody could believe her. Instead, all the blame is shifted towards her.
Promoting equality and diversity is generally about preventing all forms of discrimination. However, it all comes down to the individual level. Everybody within the healthcare setting should portray inclusive practice all the time. The inclusive practice involves:
However, nobody exemplified inclusive practice where Salome was working. Other workers within the facility must have noticed how Lynn took advantage of Salome, but none of them did a thing. When the staff manager summoned her, she tried to say what was going on, but none believed her. They took Lynn’s word over hers just because she was new to the place.
Discrimination and prejudice are wrong and have profound implications, especially in matters of healthcare. The two are highly related and are both significant barriers to social inclusion. Prejudice refers to making a conclusion or arriving at an opinion without considering the actual happening. For instance, in Salome’s case, her verdict is already decided. Before listening to her side of the story, it is decided that being the newest to the facility, she was in no position to accuse Lynn of her wrongful behavior at the workplace.
On the other hand, discrimination refers to the unfair treatment of other individuals based on their age, sex, disability, race or other factors that can be discriminated against. In the given study case, Salome observes Lynn be racist because she had seen her pull faces when she was interacting with an African doctor who had a heavy accent. Still, on that note, Lynn utters words about people living in mud houses, with her target being Salome.
Discrimination and prejudice tend to have severe impacts on the people discriminated against and are usually primary causes of human conflict. For instance, people discriminated against may feel less worthy and are generally linked with mental health issues like depression anxiety. Salome was often reprimanded in front of everyone, and this is bound to affect her normal functioning. Far from that, in a working situation, discrimination and prejudice are also associated with poor performance. For instance, Salome almost gave out the wrong medication to a patient after confusing names. It is even more alarming that she did not notice a thing until she was confronted about the same. However, one of the patients realized that the med given to them was no the right one and saved the day. Her entire experience at the facility demoralizes Salome, and she does not feel like she can handle being a nurse anymore. She felt like everybody was against her, and nobody was going to believe her over Lynn. Everything she did around the facility seemed to be wrong. Even when she received a chocolate bar from one of the patients who felt sorry for her for being treated in the facility turned out to be wrong.
The actions of prejudice and discrimination against Salome did not only affect her at a personal level. Because of what she had gone through that afternoon, having to miss her lunch break, she almost gave the wrong medication to two patients, having confused their names. Doing so could have been a big problem to herself and the entire infirmary if they had not been noticed. Also, it portrayed a wrong image of the clinic because it was clear that Salome was receiving unjust treatment, and that is why the older woman tried to comfort Salome with a chocolate bar (Lazarus et al., 2020). Also, after Salome reported Lynn to the authorities, the relationship between her and other workers in the infirmary will change. It is so especially now that they are not expected to believe her word over Lynn’s. This is bound to affect the overall working of the institution, which may result in adverse medical outcomes. Salome may not again be able to report any unjust behavior within the institution because she is not believed otherwise. The discrimination and prejudice against her may demoralize her, and her performance is expected to deteriorate.
All individuals within a healthcare setting are entitled to equal and fair treatment. Healthcare providers are expected to support and uphold these rights maintaining anti-discriminatory practice. However, this is not the case in the infirmary where Salome works at. Discrimination between health workers and service users and within the healthcare workforce contributes to poor quality healthcare delivery. Most of the co-workers notice how much Lynn s taking advantage of Salome. The chances are high that this has always been Lynn’s trait over the years, but nobody has ever addressed it. Even after Salome reported the matter to the proper authorities, they could not believe her allegations because nobody had ever said the issue until Salome. The service manager does not take the initiative to follow up on the subject, not even the racist allegations made against Lynn, which should have been eradicated in the health sector.
Within a healthcare setting, all individuals have a right not to be treated in a degrading way deliberately (Leape et al., 2012). In the provided case study, Salome feels like Lynn is using her as a personal assistant, making her work even during odd hours. It is more degrading that even after she tried to explain her situation, nobody believed her. It was so because since she had only been at the institution for a short while, they thought it was impossible to notice all that. It would have been better if the service manager and staff nurse summoned both Lynn and Salome to get both sides of the story to make an informed conclusion about what was happening at the infirmary. Contrary to that, they just dismissed Salome and asked her to be better without following up on the presented matter.
In line with that, it is observable that the right to free trial is not exercised within the institution because Lynn was summoned to answer the accusations made against her. Not even a single worker in the infirmary was called to clarify the elephant matter in the room. Lynn was given the benefit of the doubt, while Salome was condemned baselessly like that. Although Salome was not relieved of her duties at the infirmary, how the whole issue was wrapped up is expected to be problematic in her performance and overall clinical outcomes.
Equality and diversity legislation ensures that everyone receives equal treatment within the healthcare setting. The promotion of equality and diversity has been a primary method of preventing discrimination within the healthcare setting (Ford-Gilboe et al., 2018). Some of the relevant legislation working towards effecting equality within the healthcare settings include the Human Rights Act 1998, the Mental Capacity Act 2005, The Equality Act 2010, and The Care Act 2014. However, we will focus on the Equality Act of 2010.
The Equality Act was enacted in October 2010 and harbors over 100 legislations taking the place of the anti-discrimination legislation in the UK from previous years. The Act applies to all organizations that are involved in offering public services (Chopin & Gounari, 2010). It promotes equality and protects every individual’s human rights, ensuring they are all exposed to equal opportunities. On top of that, this legislation protects the people of Britain against discrimination, victimization, harassment, and any other forms of unfair treatment. The Equality Act presents protected characteristics that involve age, disability, race, sex, sexual orientation, religion, or belief, among other traits. The Act protects its people against discrimination in situations like at the workplace, when receiving public services like healthcare, using means of transport, et cetera. Although the act lists groups of people entitled to protection from inequalities, some groups that are not characterized are also affected by inequality. These groups include:
Across the United Kingdom, different people are treated differently based on who they are in society or what they are worth. Promoting equality and diversity is vital within a healthcare setting because it is all about preventing all forms of discrimination and prejudice. Discrimination and prejudice are highly related and are both significant barriers to social inclusion. All individuals within a healthcare setting should be entitled to equal and fair treatment as per the Equality Act 2010. They all have a right not to be treated in a degrading way deliberately. Several legislations promote equality and diversity, including the equality act and the care act, among others. For instance, the equality act promotes equality and protects the human rights of every individual, ensuring they are all exposed to equal opportunities. Salome should have treated them equally as the rest of her colleagues, and her views given a listening ear. The facility was failing in recognizing the flaws within the setting that even other patients were able to notice. The case of Salome lowered her confidence, and she may not speak up next time she sees something within the healthcare setting.
Chopin, I., & Gounari, E. M. (2010). Developing anti-discrimination law in Europe: the 27 EU member states compared (comparative analysis IV). Publications Office of the European Union.
FORD‐GILBOE, M. A. R. I. L. Y. N., Wathen, C. N., Varcoe, C., Herbert, C., Jackson, B. E., Lavoie, J. G., … & Browne, A. J. (2018). How equity‐oriented health care affects health: Key mechanisms and implications for primary health care practice and policy. The Milbank Quarterly, 96(4), 635-671.
Leape, L. L., Shore, M. F., Dienstag, J. L., Mayer, R. J., Edgman-Levitan, S., Meyer, G. S., & Healy, G. B. (2012). Perspective: a culture of respect, part 1: the nature and causes of disrespectful behavior by physicians. Academic medicine, 87(7), 845-852.
Salway, S., Holman, D., Lee, C., McGowan, V., Ben-Shlomo, Y., Saxena, S., & Nazroo, J. (2020). Transforming the health system for the UK’s multiethnic population. BMJ, 368.
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