Equalities Forum
NICE has an equality scheme that sets out how we are meeting our obligations on equality and discrimination and what we still need to do. In October 2008 NICE held an inaugural equalities forum to consider ways of involving disabled people and other groups at a strategic level in the scheme and its implementation. It was attended by 18 people from a wide range of groups affected by the equality scheme, as well as NICE staff and Board members. Participants felt the forum was a useful mechanism for reviewing equality and diversity issues within NICE.
Key issues raised by the forum included:
- The apparent tension between the quality adjusted life year (QALY) measure and NICE's commitment to promote equality, particularly in the case of disabled people and older people.
- The balance of issues that NICE considers, given the range of types of equality issues.
- NICE's response to profound health inequalities among particular groups, for example, in relation to sickle cell disease, mental health, and the physical health of people with learning disabilities and mental health problems.
- NICE's role in influencing local implementation to promote equality.
- The potential of NICE's annual conference to raise issues of equality, draw in a wider range of stakeholders, and involve clinicians from black and minority ethnic groups.
This page was last updated: 11 August 2009
