The case for change
Delivering safe, effective and compassionate care for the populations we serve depends fundamentally on our people.
As our population grows, ages and becomes more complex, care is moving beyond traditional hospital boundaries and digital and research-led innovation is accelerating. We cannot meet this care need without fairness, inclusion and trust for our people, across all roles and backgrounds. Inclusion strengthens:
- Patient safety and effectiveness - through psychological safety, freedom to speak up, teamwork and learning
- Access and productivity - by reducing avoidable turnover, disengagement and wasted capacity
- People and performance - through fair opportunity, clear expectations and credible leadership
- Research and innovation - by widening participation and accelerating translation into practice
Addressing inequalities is not a standalone EDI objective, but a strategic requirement for delivering our ambitions now and into the future. This strategy requires us all to be curious, to be open, to hear the realities of working at CUH, both good and not, and to use data and evidence to removing systemic barriers so our people can do their best work, to be their best and CUH can consistently deliver safe, effective and compassionate care, research and education.
Non-urgent advice: Our areas of focus for our people
- Voice, influence and accountability for action
-
- Where staff voice is weak, risk goes unreported, learning is lost and decision-making is poorer.
- Inclusion is a prerequisite for effective governance and safe care, and for us all to be our very best.
- Inclusive leadership and everyday practice
-
- Leadership behaviour and everyday organisational processes are strong drivers of staff experience, inclusion and performance.
- Inconsistent leadership creates variation, disengagement and inequity.
- Targeted action to reduce inequality
-
- Persistent inequalities in experience and outcomes introduce avoidable risk, constrain improvement, undermine organisational performance and has negative implications for the individuals experiencing inequality.
- Progress requires evidence-led, focussed intervention.
Our people; our population: turning ambition into action
Progress will be tracked through WRES/WDES, Staff Survey, workforce indicators and qualitative insight, with clear accountability through executive oversight and governance structures.