Equality, diversity and inclusion

Comment from our Chief Executive on the April 2025 Supreme Court ruling

Posted 23 April 2025

At Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT), we acknowledge the recent ruling in the UK Supreme Court relating to the legal definition of a woman under the Equality Act 2010.

This judgement may have caused uncertainty and worry for many of you, and we are committed to working through the decision with our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) networks and staff side colleagues as soon as we better understand the impact the judgement will have.

We expect to receive guidance from the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England but whilst we await this, I am keen to ensure that members of the LGBTQ+ and intersectional communities (in particular our transgender patients, service users, carers and colleagues) are fully supported.

Whilst the ruling provides legal clarity, it also raises a number of significant and sensitive challenges. This is particularly relevant for us as a specialist mental health Trust.

At present, we can confirm that there have been no changes in respect of our patient and workforce policies and, like other NHS Trusts, we are now waiting for further national guidance on how any policies and practices within health and social care may be impacted. We remain committed to providing the best possible care and support for all our service users, families, carers and staff.

Thank you,

Caroline Donovan

Chief Executive

Equality, diversity and inclusion

A fundamental promise of the NHS is that we exist for all and we have a duty of care to all.

At Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust we are committed to delivering against the Public Sector Equality Duty within the Equality Act (2010), providing equality of opportunity and access to all employees, potential employees, carers and service-users.

We promote equality, value diversity, and work tirelessly to create inclusive workplaces and services which are accessible to everyone and protect and uphold Human Rights.

We are a proud signatory of the UNISON anti-racism charter and work to ensure that everyone, including trans and non-binary people, feel respected, safe and receive an equal level of care.

For an explanation of our statutory duties, please see Public Sector Equality Duty | Equality and Human Rights Commission (equalityhumanrights.com)

Please see our Workforce Race and Disability Equality Standards and our Gender Pay Gap reports and action plans on the right-hand side of this page. Our organisation is focused on this for our workforce and all of the communities that we serve.

Conversion therapy

The Trust does not provide or support “Conversion Therapy”, sometimes called “gay cure” therapy. This is because homosexuality is not a mental illness that needs treating.

Our stance complies with Department of Health and UK Council for Psychotherapy guidance. It is also in line with all major professional bodies. They agree that such therapies are unethical and unscientific.

Equality monitoring

As part of the Public Sector Equality Duty, the Trust must by law gather and publish data about staff and the people who use its services.

This helps us to make sure we are providing fair and equal access to everyone. It also helps us to identify how we can improve services to make them more accessible and inclusive.

Modern slavery

We aim to ensure there is no modern slavery or human trafficking in our supply chains or in any part of our business.

We provide training to staff involved in the supply chain as part of our safeguarding role.

Our Modern Slavery Statement and Review - 2021 [pdf] 130KB

Rainbow Badges

NHS rainbow badge on leaf

You may see staff wearing NHS rainbow badges. This shows you that people who are LGBT+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender plus other identities) are welcome. We will always aim to be open and non-judgmental in the care we provide.

The badge lets you know that you can share your identity with us. It means this member of staff will listen, understand and know how to find the support you need.