Anti-racism action plan unveiled at NHS Golden Jubilee

NHS Golden Jubilee has introduced the Anti-Racism Action Plan to promote race equality in line with the Scottish Government’s Race Equality Framework.

The five-year plan has been created with input from staff, volunteers, service users and key stakeholder groups, with the aim of creating a culture where everyone feels “safe, respected, and able to thrive”.

It supports the wider goals of NHS Golden Jubilee around staff wellbeing, onboarding, retention and service reform.

Laura Smith, director of people and culture and deputy chief executive at NHS Golden Jubilee, said: “This plan is a powerful statement of intent.

“It reflects the lived experiences of our people and sets out practical, meaningful actions to ensure NHS Golden Jubilee is a place where everyone is treated with fairness, dignity and respect.”

The plan is divided into five key themes: leadership and accountability, organisational culture, equity of opportunity, using data to inform action and addressing concerns.

The leadership and accountability theme will see senior leaders held to account through clear anti-racism objectives, strengthened governance and visible commitment throughout all levels of the organisation.

The organisational culture theme will introduce a Kindness Matters programme to encourage inclusive behaviours.

This will be supported by awareness campaigns, allyship initiatives and safe spaces for open dialogue.

The equity of opportunity theme aims to ensure fair access to roles and career progression through inclusive recruitment practices and targeted development programmes.

The using data to inform action theme will involve using workforce data, including ethnicity pay gap reporting and staff feedback, to identify inequalities and drive evidence-based change.

Finally, the addressing concerns theme will create improved reporting channels, confidential contacts and resources to help managers respond effectively to racist incidents.

Mark MacGregor, executive lead for race and medical director, said: “We know that racism can have a profound impact on health outcomes and workplace wellbeing.

“This plan is about taking real, measurable action to create a fairer, safer NHS for everyone.”

Progress on the action plan will be reviewed every six months through NHS Golden Jubilee’s governance structures.

This will be shared with the Scottish Government to ensure transparency and accountability.