All public authorities have a duty to set out arrangements for assessing and consulting on the impact that proposed policies could have on the promotion of equality. This is also a requirement of the Care Quality Commission. Equality Impact Assessments (EIAs) help us ensure that equality is placed at the centre of policy development and review as well as service delivery.
An equality impact assessment is a useful tool as it helps us to identify, in a detailed and systematic way, the potential impact of our policies, services and functions on patients, staff and visitors.