The Healthcare Commission will launch a review of NHS trusts’ compliance with race equality law, after it emerged most are not complying with the Race Relations Act.

An audit of trust websites by the commission, published today, reveals just 9 per cent of trusts are publishing everything they are required to under the Race Relations Act 1976.

It also found that only 34 per cent had published workforce monitoring data and 16 per cent had published outcomes of race equality impact assessments.

From next month until February 2008 the commission will carry out a race equality review, including inspections of more than 40 trusts.

The commission’s head of strategy Jamie Rentoul said it hoped to identify good practice and areas of concern. ‘In the provision of services and the recruitment, management and development of their workforce, healthcare organisations can play a crucial role in eliminating discrimination.’

This year’s compliance levels are still an improvement on last year’s audit, when just over 1 per cent of trusts were fully compliant.

For more analysis by HSJ’s editor, click here

HSJ’s Race Equality conference is in London on 6 December, visit www.hsj-raceequality.co.uk for details.

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