Health and social care: safe and effective staffing consultation

6. Equality Considerations

6.1 The Scottish Government's Quality Strategy for NHSScotland asserts our aim of delivering safe, effective and person-centred care. To do so we need to understand the needs of each person who uses health and social care services. Therefore, in the development of our proposals we will ensure that we identify any equality impacts for people with a protected characteristic (as defined by the Equality Act 2010).

6.2 In line with usual practice, a partial Business Impact Assessment has been prepared and has been published alongside this consultation. We are undertaking an Equality Impact Assessment ( EQIA) which will allow us to explore these further. The results of the EQIA, along with a Privacy Impact Assessment ( PIA) and Children's Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment ( CRWIA) will be published on the Scottish Government's website once completed.

6.3 The Government does not consider that a Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment is required.

6.4 This consultation provides an opportunity to obtain stakeholders' views on any possible equality impacts, including on those with protected characteristics. The responses to our consultation will assist in our development of a full EQIA.

QUESTIONS

Equality Consideration

17. Do you anticipate any of the proposed options outlined in this consultation will have a direct or indirect positive or negative impact on any protected equality characteristics?

The nine protected equality characteristics are age, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, race, religion or belief, pregnancy and maternity , disability, and marriage and civil partnership.