NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) is committed to:

• eliminating unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and other conduct prohibited by the Equality Act (2010);
• advancing equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not; and
• fostering good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.

In this section, you will find information about:

• our approach to equality, diversity and inclusion;
• equality and health inequality impact and risk assessments (EHIIRAs) and how they are used;
• NHS mandated standards relating to equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI); and
• how we report on EDI-related progress.

We're committed to making sure equality, diversity and inclusion is a priority when planning and commissioning health and care services for our population.

We want to make sure our services are appropriate, equitable and accessible for everyone - nobody should be disadvantaged or discriminated against.

To achieve this aim, we must demonstrate we’ve considered the impacts policies, services and practice have on our patient population and our workforce – particularly those people with protected characteristics or those from vulnerable groups.

The characteristics protected by the Equality Act (2010) are:

• Age
• Disability
• Sex (gender)
• Gender reassignment
• Sexual orientation
• Race
• Religion and/or belief
• Pregnancy and maternity
• Marriage and civil partnership

We also consider other vulnerable groups such as:

• Carers
• Military veterans
• Asylum seekers
• Refugees
• People from deprived areas

Not forgetting other groups that experience significant health inequalities such as those identified by the national Core20PLUS5 programme.