Maternity and neonatal care - Best Start implementation: equality impact assessment

Stage 3: Assessing the impacts and identifying opportunities to promote equality

Having considered the data and evidence you have gathered; this section requires you to consider the potential impacts – negative and positive – that your policy might have on each of the protected characteristics. It is important to remember the duty is also a positive one – that we must explore whether the policy offers the opportunity to promote equality and/or foster good relations.

Do you think that the policy impacts on people because of their age?

Eliminating unlawful discrimination, harassment, and victimisation

Impact - None

Advancing equality of opportunity

Impact - Positive and Negative

Reason for your decision

• Continuity of midwifery carer will be offered to all women, regardless of characteristic. Where a woman requires input from a Consultant Obstetrician, she should expect to receive continuity of obstetric carer in addition.
• Evidence for choice in place of birth will be reviewed to ensure policies are up to date with the best available evidence and clinical opinion.
• There is the chance of both a positive and a negative indirect impact as the age demographic of the workforce may include people with caring responsibilities. Continuity of carer may require a different working pattern for staff which may affect staff with caring responsibilities. However, evidence indicates increased autonomy and flexibility in setting working hours that comes with this policy should allow staff the flexibility to work around these caring responsibilities.

Promoting good relations among and between different age groups

Impact - None

Do you think that the policy impacts disabled people?

Disability - Eliminating unlawful discrimination, harassment, and victimisation

Impact - None

Disability - Advancing equality of opportunity

Impact - Positive and Negative

Reason for your decision

• Continuity of midwifery carer will be offered to all women, regardless of characteristic. Where a woman requires input from a Consultant Obstetrician, she should expect to receive continuity of obstetric carer in addition.
• Increased use of technology in maternity and neonatal care could have a positive impact on disabled people if it meant more care could be delivered virtually and decrease travel needed. However, care would have to be taken to ensure that there were no negative impacts on a disabled person if they were unable to use technology and that they could still receive the same level of care without technology.
• No recommendations within the Best Start should adversely impact the workforce directly because of disability. For continuity of carer, it is expected that more midwives would work in a community-based setting. Necessary adjustments may have to be made as they would have been in the current work setting. Increased use of technology, working flexibly and bringing care closer to home may have a positive impact on a disabled member of the workforce.

Disability - Promoting good relations among and between disabled and non-disabled people

Impact - None

Do you think that the policy impacts on men and women in different ways?

Sex - Eliminating unlawful discrimination

Impact - None

Sex - Advancing equality of opportunity

Impact - Positive

Reason for your decision

• Partners to stay should allow more partners to be involved in the care of their baby.
• The Neonatal Expenses Fund will provide equal access for both men and women to visit their baby in neonatal care.
• Parents will be encouraged to take an active part in the care of their baby in neonatal care.

Sex - Promoting good relations between men and women

Impact - Positive

Reason for your decision

• Bringing care closer to home allows partners to be involved in all aspects of pregnancy care. Providing facilities for partners to stay, either on the postnatal ward or in Neonatal Transitional Care promotes family bonding.

Do you think that the policy impacts on women because of pregnancy and maternity?

Pregnancy and Maternity - Eliminating unlawful discrimination

Impact - None

Pregnancy and Maternity - Advancing equality of opportunity

Impact - Positive

Reason for your decision

• The aim of Best Start is that all women will be offered an equitable service across Scotland based around their individual needs and circumstances.

Pregnancy and Maternity - Promoting good relations

Impact - Positive

Reason for your decision

• Women should feel part of the decision-making process around all aspects of her pregnancy care including personalised care planning, relationship-based care, choice of place of birth and receive continuity of midwifery carer and obstetric carer where applicable.

Do you think your policy impacts on transgender people?

Gender reassignment - Eliminating unlawful discrimination

Impact - none

Gender reassignment - Advancing equality of opportunity

Impact - none

Gender reassignment - Promoting good relations

Impact - none

Do you think that the policy impacts on people because of their sexual orientation?

Sexual Orientation - Eliminating unlawful discrimination

Impact - none

Sexual Orientation - Advancing equality of opportunity

Impact - none

Sexual Orientation - Promoting good relations

Impact - none

Do you think the policy impacts on people on the grounds of their race?

Race - Eliminating unlawful discrimination

Impact - none

Race Advancing equality of opportunity

Impact – Positive

Reason for your decision

• Continuity of carer will be offered to all women, regardless of race and will be tailored around individual needs and circumstances. Where a woman requires input from a Consultant Obstetrician, she should expect to receive continuity of obstetric carer in addition. All women will receive equity of access to midwifery and obstetric services, with the target of carrying out the initial booking appointment before 12 weeks applicable to all women, regardless of race.

Do you think the policy impacts on people because of their religion or belief?

Religion or belief - Eliminating unlawful discrimination

Impact - none

Religion or belief - Advancing equality of opportunity

Impact – positive

Reason for your decision

Continuity of carer will be offered to all women, regardless of religion and belief and will be tailored around individual needs and circumstances. Where a woman requires input from a Consultant Obstetrician, she should expect to receive continuity of obstetric carer in addition.

Religion or belief - Promoting good relations

Impact - none

Do you think the policy impacts on people because of their marriage or civil partnership?

Marriage or civil partnership - Eliminating unlawful discrimination

Impact - none