Equality and Diversity

Our Policy is designed to ensure and promote equality and inclusion, supporting the ethos and requirements of the Equality Act 2010 for all visitors to our Practice.

We are committed to:

• ensuring that all visitors are treated with dignity and respect
• promoting equality of opportunity between men and women
• not tolerating any discrimination or perceived discrimination against, or harassment of, any visitor for reason of age, sex, gender, marital status, pregnancy, race, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief
• providing the same treatment and services (including the ability to register with the Practice) to any visitor irrespective of age, sex, marital status, pregnancy, race, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, medical condition, religion or belief
• This Policy applies to all staff within Ashdown Medical Group, the general public, including all patients and their families, visitors and contractors

Procedure

Discrimination by the Practice or Visitors / patients against you

If you feel discriminated against:

• You should bring the matter to the attention of the Operations Manager or Practice Manager
• They will investigate the matter thoroughly and confidentially within 30 working days
• They will establish the facts and decide whether or not discrimination has taken place, and advise you of the outcome of the investigation within 30 working days
• If you are not satisfied with the outcome, you should raise a formal complaint through our Complaints Procedure

Discrimination against our Practice staff

Ashdown Medical Group will not tolerate any form of discrimination or harassment of our staff by any visitor. Any visitor who expresses any form of discrimination against or harassment of any member of our staff will be required to leave the Practice premises immediately. If the visitor is a patient they may also, at the discretion of the Practice Management, be removed from the Practice list if any such behaviour occurs.

All staff within Ashdown Medical Group complete Equality and Diversity Training annually.