CSO England - commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI)
Over the course of 12 months, the focus of the England CSO’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) programme is to develop a comprehensive strategy and toolkit specifically designed for healthcare science colleagues in the NHS. The programme’s objectives include raising awareness of EDI, establishing a dedicated EDI strategy and delivery framework in alignment with the NHS People Plan, and the EDI Improvement Plan, and equipping frontline staff and managers with practical resources. Ultimately, the goal is to foster inclusive practices within the healthcare science community, ensuring that all individuals are aware of their rights and responsibilities concerning EDI.
If you are passionate about making our workplace more diverse, equitable, and inclusive, please do join as a contributor using this link: https://forms.office.com/e/2pNGU2BxYc
A letter from Basit:
Dear members,
You will be aware that I was appointed as EDI Fellow jointly with the Chief Scientific Officer for England and the AHCS. I wanted to update you to on the ongoing progress of the EDI programme commissioned by the NHS England.
As you will be aware, the project began a few months ago, and it’s been an incredible and insightful journey so far, providing clarity on how our workforce embrace EDI and the support they need to ensure a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive workplace. We aim to build an EDI Strategy with a supporting Framework and Toolkit for the NHS HCS workforce in England. However, we hope to share the learning and output through the Professional Bodies Council in the spirit of openness and transparency. We have initiated a HCS EDI Oversight Committee consisting of experts within the healthcare space who have a valid interest in the HCS workforce. Through constructive discussions one of the recommendations identified is the need for Task and Finish (T&F) groups to lead focused discussions, make recommendations and initiate actions to support the strategy and toolkit development.
We believe that the best solutions come from those who are in the heart of the matter and their lived experiences – our Healthcare Science colleagues.
To ensure we incorporate the broadest range of experiences and insights I would like to formally invite you and your members the opportunity to join and provide vital contributions to the T&F groups. The contribution you provide will be invaluable at various stages of the programme. You can register your interest through the link below and we ask you share with members through your professional communication channels.
https://forms.office.com/e/2pNGU2BxYc
We understand that the day-to-day work in healthcare science is demanding, so we’re flexible. Contributors can take part as much or as little as they like. Moreover, we will make all efforts to gather valuable inputs efficiently using digital tools, thereby minimising any potential disruption to day work.
I hope this update was helpful and thank you for considering this opportunity.
If you have any queries, concerns, or require any further information, please contact me.
Best regards,
Basit Abdul
On behalf of the HCS EDI Oversight Committee
Meet Basit Abdul, Clinical Fellow 
Leading the EDI work stream is Fellow, Basit Abdul (pictured), an esteemed Healthcare Scientist specialising in Clinical Engineering. With a robust governance and steering process in mind, Basit has already established an EDI Oversight Committee to oversee the programme’s progress, and a stakeholder engagement process has been initiated, collaborating closely with professional bodies and EDI stakeholders to ensure a holistic approach to EDI implementation.