We stand firmly against racism and all forms of discrimination and abusive behaviour wherever it exists, in our homes, our hospitals, our public services, our communities and in day-to-day living.
We actively embrace diversity and speak out against any behaviour that undermines dignity, equality or respect.
Together with our partners across public services, we are committed to promoting equality, fairness and inclusion, and to challenging racism and discrimination within our services and across our communities.
Racism has no place in our hospitals. That includes antisemitism, anti-Muslim hostility, anti-Black racism, anti-Asian racism and racism directed at any ethnic, national or religious group. It applies wherever it occurs and whoever it comes from — between colleagues, from colleagues towards patients, from patients or visitors towards our staff, and in the way our own policies and decisions work.
In our role as an employer and a provider of universal healthcare services we are committed to combatting racism in all its forms, wherever and whenever we can.
In June 2026, Lord Mann published his independent review into tackling racism and antisemitism within the NHS. We have used it, and the requirements NHS England set out alongside it, to look honestly at ourselves.
What we have done
We have adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition of antisemitism and the Government definition of anti-Muslim hostility across all three of our hospitals and confirmed this to NHS England.
We have signed up to the NHS Race and Health Observatory’s Seven Principles of Anti-Racism.
We have introduced an Anti-Racism, Dignity and Respect Policy - the first Group-wide policy across our three Trusts. It sets out how concerns are reported, how they are investigated, and the support available to anyone affected.
We have committed that no concern about racism will be closed without a recorded decision and a named decision-maker, and that anyone raising a concern in good faith is protected from any form of retaliation and repeat victimisation.
We have commissioned an internal audit of racism-related cases closed over the last three years to satisfy ourselves that concerns were properly handled.
Our Board members and senior leaders will complete anti-racism training, and around 150 managers and investigators will receive specialist training on recognising and investigating racism, antisemitism and anti-Muslim hostility.
What we are honest about
We are not starting from a position of strength everywhere. Our own review of how we work found that equality, diversity and inclusion is more developed at some of our hospitals than others, that our reporting and governance are inconsistent, and that colleagues continue to tell us they experience bullying, harassment and discrimination. We understand confidence in reporting racism needs to be rebuilt, particularly where it arises in interactions between patients and staff. Saying so publicly is part of our commitment.
What we expect
Our staff have the right to come to work without being abused for who they are. We ask everyone using our services to treat our staff with dignity and respect. Racist or discriminatory behaviour towards our staff is not acceptable and may result in action, including restrictions on visiting, withdrawal of non-essential services or, in serious cases, involvement of the police. We will never withhold urgent clinical care from anyone who needs it.
Holding ourselves to account
Progress against our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Workforce Strategy is reported to our Group Board, which will also receive an annual report on the experience of our staff, the outcomes of cases, and whether our processes are being applied fairly to everyone. Each of our hospitals will publish an annual equality, diversity and inclusion report.
If you experience or witness racism in any of our hospitals, please tell us. Staff can raise concerns with their manager, their HR team, their trade union representative or a Freedom to Speak Up Guardian. Patients, visitors and members of the public can contact the Patient Advice and Liaison Service at any of our three hospitals:
David Roberts
Group Chair
Professor Lesley Dwyer
Group Chief Executive Officer
Jo Segasby
Chief Delivery Officer and Deputy CEO
Shane Gordon
Executive Managing Director, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals
Jonathan Gardener
Executive Managing Director, James Paget University Hospitals
We are working with our staff, our patients and our visitors to understand where there may be issues of discrimination so that we can take action, and we want to build on existing relationships to enhance links with our stakeholders and work together, sharing knowledge, to support our aim to become a fully inclusive organisation.
We embrace different backgrounds, ways of thinking and skills to enable us to respond more effectively to the diverse needs of our patients and we are committed to ensuring that we learn from feedback received and that it is analysed from a diversity and inclusion perspective to ensure that we improve the patient/carer experience based on any themes emerging.
We will strengthen our engagement processes to ensure that diversity and inclusion is an integral part; building stronger links with individuals/groups who are less accessible to ensure that improved health outcomes are available to all.
We want to ensure that the needs of all those who regard themselves as being a part of a protected group are considered.
The Trust continues to incorporate the WRES (Workforce Race Equality Standard) and WDES (Workforce Disability Equality Standard) into its reporting mechanisms. We also seek to make continuous improvements through the use of the Trust staff survey results and work in partnership to support equality and diversity and human rights in our workforce.
