Learn Basic British Sign Language (BSL)
Additional dates for our popular basic British Sign Language (BSL) classes are now available.
Classes are being held at the at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital Learning Centre and Inverclyde Royal Hospital and run for 6 weeks.
Be sure to review your schedule and confirm with your line manager before enrolling.
Full attendance is essential for the duration of the course.
Each class is limited to 14 participants, with a waiting list automatically generated once capacity is reached.
For more information and to register, please find the links to the BSL classes below. Don’t miss this chance to develop valuable skills!
Hate Crime Awareness
This short session gives participants an understanding of what hate crime is and how to report if witnessed in the workplace. It is an important safeguarding learning opportunity for all members of staff working in frontline roles. For further information on hate crime and the NHSGGC response, visit our Hate Crime page.
The following dates are available for 2025 and will take place on MS Teams. To book, simply follow the Webropol link.
- 10th April 2025, 10am – 11am, MS Teams
- 5th June 2025, 10am – 11am, MS Teams
- 13th October 2025, 10am – 11am, MS Teams
- 14th October 2025, 10am – 11am, MS Teams
- 15th October 2025, 10am – 11am, MS Teams
- 16th October 2025, 10am – 11am, MS Teams
- 17th October 2025, 10am – 11am, MS Teams
- 10th December 2025, 10am – 11am, MS Teams
Equality Impact Assessment (EQIAs)
Equality Impact Assessments assess all organisational activity – including policy, plans, projects, service delivery and practice – in order to identify actions to address discrimination and promote equality.
Conducting EQIAs is a legal duty for NHSGGC and helps us provide services that are sensitive to inequalities and meet the needs of our diverse community.
If you’ve been asked to undertake an EQIA in your service area you need to book onto a Lead Reviewers training session before starting.
The following training dates are available for 2025 and will take place on MS Teams. Please click on your preferred date.
For further information, please contact equality@ggc.scot.nhs.uk
How to use the NHSGGC Interpreting Service
Our interpreting service provides a range of services and resources for patients whose first language is not English and who may need communication support in a health setting. Support is also available for patients who are Deaf, hard of hearing, blind or deafblind.
It is the responsibility of NHSGGC staff to arrange interpreting support for patients using any of our healthcare services. It is therefore vital that staff know how to access the support available.
Training includes information on: how to use telephone interpreting; accessing BSL Online interpreting; booking face to face interpreters, requesting translations and direct patient access to telephone interpreting.
Sessions are run on Microsoft Teams. To book a place, please click on the link for the relevant date and time.
For more information please contact equality@ggc.scot.nhs.uk
TURAS
NHS Education for Scotland is pleased to announce the launch of the Equality and Diversity Zone on Turas Learn, NHS Education for Scotland’s platform for learning and support resources.
The Equality and Diversity Zone provides information and resources to support people at all levels to develop knowledge and skills in equality, diversity and human rights.
The resources you find here will help you to make your practice, services and workplace more accessible and inclusive, supporting better experience and outcomes.
We host and curate content from NHS Education for Scotland, NHS Boards, and other key partners on a Once for Scotland basis to make these resources as accessible as possible.
In the zone you will find:
- information on equality duties, human rights and related tools and topics
- a range of educational resources, including eLearning modules, guides and frameworks.
Users can access many of the resources directly at https://learn.nes.nhs.scot/3480/equality-and-diversity.
Anyone who works or volunteers in or with the public sector in Scotland (including third/voluntary sector or if you work in care homes, care at home or day care) can sign up for a Turas account. Log in with your Turas account to access eLearning modules and record the eLearning on your personal learning record.
Whether you are a student, support worker, clinician, administrator, project manager or Board member, there will be something for everyone.
Log into the Zone and you will find learning and practice support for:
- Augmentative and alternative communication
- Making communication even better
- Corporate Parenting
- Dementia and equality
- Deaf awareness
- Equal Partners in Care: Carer Aware, Caring Together
- Equality, diversity and human rights
- Equality impact assessment and planning for equality
- Equality law and legal duties
- The Fairer Scotland Duty
- Health literacy and reducing health inequalities
- Human rights
- Human trafficking
- Learning disabilities and equality
- LGBT People and Public Services: Good Practice
- Trauma, mental health and suicide prevention
What Are Your Right When Using the NHS?
By law, the healthcare you receive should:
- Consider your needs
- Consider what would most benefit your health and wellbeing
- Encourage you to take part in decisions about your health and wellbeing and provide you with the information and support to do so.
You also have the right to give feedback, comments, raise concerns or complaints about the care you have received.
Patient Advice & Support Service
The Patient Advice and Support Service (PASS) offers free advice and support to all NHS Scotland patients. You can get in touch with PASS through their online contact form or by calling 0800 917 2127 (Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 5.00pm).
In addition to helping you understand your rights as a patient, PASS will help you
- Share your feedback or comments
- Access your medical and clinical records
- Make complaints about healthcare experiences.
What Will You Be Asked When Using the NHS?
The more we know about our patients – not just medical information but individual needs and preferences – the better the service we can provide. This is not just about gathering information – it is about making sure we are working with individuals, families and communities, rather then just providing identical treatment for everyone.
By law, we are asked to collect patient information on age, sex, disability, ethnicity, religion / belief and sexual orientation. This personal information is collected by staff in NHS hospitals, GP surgeries and other health centres. It is then used to ensure we are meeting the needs of our patient groups and for planning future services.
You might wonder why you are asked for some additional personal information. We know that a patient’s health is often affected by good or bad things happening in their lives. Most patients don’t know that it is helpful for us to know about these things or won’t feel comfortable bringing such matters up themselves. For this reason, our staff in many services are asking all patients about social circumstances that may be affecting your health or preventing you from getting the best out of the treatment we are offering.
For example, staff might ask whether you have money worries, trouble finding work, problems at home or in your relationships, or if you feel you are being treated badly or unfairly, for example because you belong to a particular ethnic group, have a disability, or because of your sexual orientation.
It is up to you what you choose to tell staff when they ask about these things. Sometimes, if you want us to, we can share the information with other services or people so that you can get support or help in dealing with the issue.
Equality & Human Rights Team – Further Information
The members of the Equality & Human Rights Team are:
- Beatrix Von Wissmen – Strategic Lead for Equality & Human Rights Team
- Alastair Low – Interim Equality & Human Rights Team Manager
- Noreen Shields – Planning and Development Manager
- Julian Heng – Planning and Development Manager
- Louise Carroll – Programme Development Manager
- Susan Thompson – Communications Manager
- Nuzhat Mirza – Engagement Development Specialist
- Mhairi Mcculloch – Equality & Human Rights Practitioner
- Martin Patterson – Equality & Human Rights Practitioner
- Jacqueline Fairweather – Equality & Human Rights Practitioner
- Paul Hull – Health Improvement Specialist – Deaf Community
- Jacky Russell – Equality & Human Rights Admin Support
- Helen Macgillvray – Equality & Human Rights Admin Support
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
West House
Gartnavel Royal Hospital
1055 Great Western Road
Glasgow, G12 0ZH
Contact Form
If you have questions or comments regarding NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s work on equality issues, please contact us using the form below.
Please be aware that this is a general inbox.
Human Rights Laws in Scotland
The Human Rights Act 1998 came into force in October 2000. It is one of the main ways that internationally-recognised human rights are given legal effect in the UK. The Act has a 20-year track record of delivering justice and rights for all, including for some of the most vulnerable people in society.
The Act means that vitally important safeguards set out in the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) are available to everyone. In particular, all public organisations, such as NHSGGC, must act in accordance with the rights of the Convention.
The second Scottish National Action Plan on Human Rights was published in 2022. The Scottish Government, Public Sector organisations and charities have increased the focus on human rights due to issues arising from the pandemic, welfare reform, austerity and the recession.
Human rights to health, non-discrimination, food, fuel, income, employment, shelter, safety, relationships and citizenship are at risk for many people.
What are my human rights? mygov.scot
NHSGGC and Human Rights
NHSGGC has incorporated human rights as an integral part of:
- Equality Impact Assessments of strategies, policies, service redesigns, service developments and cost savings
- Key NHSGGC resources for patients
- Staff training
There are also a range of specific actions around implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in NHSGGC. The Convention sets out the essential rights of all children. The UNCRC Bill became law in Scotland in 2024 and is used as a framework to ensure that we consider children and young people’s rights whenever we make decisions that may impact on them. NHSGGC has incorporated the principles of the new law into our Equality Impact Assessments which are used to ensure our services and policies are meeting the requirements of equality law.
Useful Resources
Scottish Human Rights Commission health and social care case studies
Public Health Scotland Health inequalities: Human rights and the right to health
The Alliance: Being Human – a human rights based approach to health and social care
Documents
Children’s version of the Convention on the Rights of the Child | UNICEF
Human Rights and NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde
Human Rights & Healthcare
