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1. The General Whitley Council (GWC) has reached a new agreement which supersedes Sections 7 to 13 of its Handbook. The aim of this agreement is to make equality and diversity part of everything that the NHS does. This agreement should be inserted in the handbook as Section 7 and registered as GWC handbook amendment No. 113.

Background

2. Early in 1998 the General Whitley Council agreed that a review of the equal opportunities section of the handbook would take place. The review encompassed the outstanding claims by the Staff Side on racial harassment, and disability. The aim of the review was to establish an equal opportunities section of the handbook consistent with service aims and current legal requirements, which will improve the accessibility of equality policies within the health service, and to anticipate likely developments around equal opportunities. The new agreement matches trends within a modern NHS.

3. This revised agreement forms an important element within the Equalities Framework to be developed as part of the Working Together agenda. The GWC agreements are a practical means of setting standards around this aspect of the employment relationship.

4. The new GWC agreement seeks to underpin other work such as that on Tackling Racial Harassment, promoting family friendly employment and join up with known developments led by other governments departments such as the parental leave directive.

5. A small group of volunteers from Management and Staff Side were tasked with this work. As part of their remit they were asked to try an alternative way of working to the traditional bipartisan approach.

The Agreement

6. This agreement pulls together all the existing equality sections into a single agreement. It is firmly based on legally reliable best practice. There remains significant scope to develop local procedures to inform action. Codes of Practice will be developed separately.

7. Employers should keep track of further Government initiatives individually. One of these is the Human Rights Act, which has broad implications for HR practices beyond equal opportunities.

Next Steps

8. Further joint guidance on implementation of an equality audit and positive action will be developed initially. However, this should not hinder you in the short term from implementing this agreement.

SECRETARY OF STATE'S APPROVAL

9. This agreement has been approved by the Secretary of State under Regulations 2 and 3 of the National health Service (Remuneration and Conditions of Service) Regulations 1991 (SI 1991 No. 481) and under paragraph 11 of Schedule 3 to the National Health Service Act 1977.

• AL(GC) 1/2000: Sections 7 to 13 of the General Whitley Council handbook: equal opportunities agreement