Health equity and inclusion strategy

Our health, equity and inclusion strategy is about making health and care fairer for everyone in the North East and North Cumbria. It explains what the ICB will do from 2026 and 2030. It also sets out what it expects providers of services to do. 

We want everyone to have a fair chance of being healthy. Some people may need more help than others to have the same chance. We plan and pay for health services for 3.2m people. We are also an employer. 

We will use both roles to

  • Make it easier for people to get healthcare
  • Reduce unfair differences in health
  • Help people have a say in decisions about their health and care.
  • Make it easier for everyone who plans, pays for, provides or checks health services.

Download and read our health equity and inclusion strategy

This strategy is for everyone who plans, pays for, provides or checks health services.

This includes:

  • NHS staff
  • hospitals and NHS trusts
  • GPs
  • dentists
  • pharmacists
  • opticians
  • councils
  • voluntary and community groups.

People in our region do not all have the same chance to live a long and healthy life.

Their health can be affected by:

  • where they live
  • how much money they have
  • their background or culture
  • a disability
  • other things happening in their lives.

These things can affect whether people get the care they need. They can also affect their experience of care and how healthy they are.

We must also follow the law.

We must:

  • reduce unfair differences in healthcare
  • stop unfair treatment
  • give everyone a fair chance
  • make changes so disabled people can use services
  • give people information they can understand.

These rules apply when we plan, pay for or change services. They also apply when we make decisions as an employer.

Fairer services

We will think about fairness whenever we plan, buy, check or change services.

We want everyone to:

  • get the care they need
  • have a good experience
  • have the best chance of good health.

Working with communities

We will

  • listen to people and communities and involve them when we plan and improve services.
  • will make sure we hear from people whose views are sometimes missed.

A workplace where everyone belongs

We will

  • challenge racism, religious hatred, bullying and unfair treatment.
  • give people the support and changes they need to do their jobs.
  • want everyone to feel welcome, valued and able to do well at work.

Better information and openness

We will

  • use facts, local knowledge and people’s experiences to find unfair differences.
  • use this information to decide where more help is needed.
  • take action when the information shows a problem.
  • share our progress, including what is working and where more needs to be done.

Clear responsibility

We will

  • be clear about who is responsible for each action.
  • give people the support they need to do the work.
  • check that we and the organisations we work with are making a difference.

We will be clearer about what we expect from organisations that provide services for us. Fairness will be part of service plans, agreements and checks.

Organisations will need to show that people from all communities can:

  • get their services fairly
  • have a good experience
  • have better health.

They will also need to:

  • give information that people can understand and use
  • make changes to support disabled people
  • work with communities when planning services
  • tackle racism and unfair treatment
  • be honest about their progress.

Over time, we may make these rules stronger.

We may link some funding to improvements in fairness.

We will agree clear standards and give practical support. Organisations must also show that change is happening.

Fairness must be part of our work from the start. 

Our teams who plan and pay for services will:

  • understand where the biggest unfair differences are
  • use facts and people’s experiences when making decisions
  • check how decisions may affect different groups
  • include clear rules about fairness in agreements with providers
  • involve communities in planning and checking services
  • check if people can get services fairly
  • act when the information shows a problem
  • record what has changed. 

We will work with other organisations and communities so we can learn and improve together.

We will develop a more detailed four-year plan. This plan will include clear actions and ways to measure progress. We will check progress often. We will report it to the ICB Board and the public.