Our experts ensured that the Lancashire and South Cumbria Vaccination Programme met the Public Sector Equality Duty.

Background
Lancashire and South Cumbria (LSC) Vaccination Programme Board requested support with meeting the Public Sector Equality Duty.

An MLCSU Equality and Inclusion Business Partner joined the Board to link with the NHS England and NHS Improvement regional team who had carried out regional equality impact assessment work for the mass COVID-19 vaccination programme.

Action

• Conducted an Equality and Health Inequality Impact Assessment for LSC Mass Vaccination Programme
• Gathered a range of demographic and health inequality information
• Accessed information and previous learning from the Influenza (Flu) Vaccination Programme
• Accessed a range of information and research available on the impacts of COVID-19
• Attended weekly meetings – operational and oversight groups
• Provided equality related advice to the group with supporting work, for example writing an equality checklist for potential vaccination sites
• Shared equality impact assessments and links with Public Health England and other team members
• Shared the assessment information wider via the Communications and Engagement Lead, which also gathered further insight.

Impact
The MLCSU Equality and Inclusion Business Partner ensured that decision makers were aware of potential equality related impacts in relation to those with protected characteristics and other groups.

The Equality and Health Inequality Impact Assessment was shared with clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to inform planning and further work at local levels.

Our Equality and Inclusion Team continues to play a role in advising and updating the Equality and Health Inequality Impact Assessment.

We continue to receive frequent queries from CCGs on local level equality impact assessments and we share the work we have done.