Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps are being taken to ensure NHS-wide implementation of the refreshed Equality Delivery System; and how the implementation of that system will be evaluated.

The refreshed Equality Delivery System (EDS2) is a tool designed to help local NHS organisations, in discussion with local partners, including local communities, to review and improve their equality performance for characteristics given protection under the Equality Act 2010.

During 2012, implementation of this tool featured as part of the criteria for the authorisation of clinical commissioning groups in England; EDS2 now features in NHS England’s Assurance Framework for Clinical Commissioning Groups. EDS2 has been embedded within the Care Quality Commission’s new inspection regime for hospitals, and is scheduled to be included in the NHS Standard Contract from April 2015.

A survey exercise carried out by NHS England during 2014 indicated that over 93% of all NHS clinical commissioning groups and NHS provider organisations were implementing the Equality Delivery System.

The programme of work on EDS2 includes continuous evaluation, overseen by NHS England. A national ‘EDS2 Dashboard’ is being finalised that will monitor uptake of the tool by organisations, and highlight good practice and outcomes.

These actions will ensure that the refreshed EDS2 receives system-wide implementation across the NHS in England, and that its effectiveness is monitored and evaluated on a continuous basis.