NHS appoints equality and human rights director

The NHS has appointed the first ever equality and human rights
director to spearhead the NHS’s diversity agenda,
writes Clare Jerrom.

Surinder Sharma’s main priority will be to promote the NHS
chief executive Nigel Crisp’s action plan on leadership and
race equality.

Sharma has 25 years experience working on equality and diversity
issues in the public, private and voluntary sector and his role
will aim to tackle inequalities in all aspects of health and social
care delivery.

Black people are more than six times more likely than the
majority of the population to be sectioned under the Mental Health
Act and women born in India and East Africa are 40 per cent more
likely to commit suicide than women in England and Wales.

Crisp said: “The NHS workforce must reflect the community
it serves. It must be trained and equipped to deliver responsive
and accessible services for all.”