Like everyone we are reflecting and dealing with personal feelings and experiences on the issue of race and inequality which has been brought into sharp focus by the shocking and tragic death of George Floyd, and the inequalities COVID-19 has exposed in our society.
Equality, diversity & inclusion is an extremely important subject, and a key focus of our organisation. As a regulator of health and care professionals our role is to protect the public and we recognise the UK population is culturally rich and diverse. This diversity is reflected in our registrants, employees and partners, many of whom have expressed their hurt, disbelief and anger over the last week. We cannot dismiss the appalling events in America, and the impact this has on all of us.
Racism and discrimination of any kind has no place in our society. We want to be a fair and inclusive regulator. We recognise we have a responsibility to ensure no person is treated differently, and that everyone has the right to live their lives without fear of discrimination based on the colour of their skin, gender, religion or faith, disability, age, or any aspect of their background. This is clear in the Standards we expect of our registrants, and is a key priority for our Council. We know we can do more and our Equality, diversity & inclusion action plan highlights some of the practical steps we are taking to achieve this.
We want to express our support for our black and ethnic minority registrants, as well as our own employees and partners. Read more in our blog post on Black Lives Matter.
