Unit 8 D2 Health And Social Care Study

Critical Evaluation of Equal Opportunity Legislation and its impact within the Health Sector;

Promoting equality across the world is a constantly evolving process, and although complete social solidarity is all but impossible due to the nature of humankind, our increasingly multi-cultural societies demand fair and just laws for all people.
“Men are born equal but they are also born different.”
Because all people are different and have individual needs, to treat all people the same would be promoting inequality. The ‘Equality Act 2010’ is an Act introduced to “strengthen and streamline the legislation relating to equality” , hence improve equal opportunities for all groups of
Therefore any person or group receiving healthcare should be protected under the Act, and will be entitled to the correct care to suit their needs.
Because of the vast amount of legislation encapsulated within the Equality Act 2010, it is important to monitor service providers to ensure the laws are being upheld. As well as managers, staff, and service user feedback, we also have the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
“We make sure hospitals, care homes, dental and GP surgeries, and all other care services in England provide people with safe, effective, compassionate and high-quality care, and we encourage them to make improvements.”
It is also the CQCs responsibility to ensure that equality, diversity and the human rights of all service users are being promoted.
So the Equality Act 2010 attempts to protect all people in the UK against discrimination, and Section 13 of the Equality Act defines direct discrimination
Of course this is a ridiculous proposition, but it does show how discrimination can sometimes be invisible within healthcare, and that even legislations such as the Equality Act 2010, can subsequently promote inequality.
While considering ‘Race’ in the health sector, it must also be remembered that different Races’ also present different cultures’. These can be sometimes unsurpassable when trying to create equality within a society. A good example is the case concerning Shirley Chaplin, an NHS nurse who insisted that her ‘beliefs’ required her to wear a crucifix while working. However her employer, along with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), decided it was a health and safety issue. This resulted in Chaplin losing her job as a direct result of her beliefs,
“NHS’ uniform policy was that, for health and safety reasons, no necklaces were to be worn when handling patients. This policy gave rise to a conflict between Ms Chaplin’s duties and her religious