October 2007

1. Federation of Irish Societies

The Federation of Irish Societies (FIS) is the national umbrella organisation that represents over 115 Irish clubs, societies, associations and organisations in Britain. It promotes the interests of Irish people through research, representation, community care, education, culture and arts, youth and sports activities and information provision.

Health is a key area of FIS work due to the acute and particular health needs of the Iris community in Britain, which must be addressed in a culturally sensitive way. Through intensive campaigning and a programme of informing policy through meetings, conferences and presentations, FIS works hard to ensure that the Department of Health, the NHS and other statutory organisations cater for the Irish community across the broad health spectrum.

FIS also works with Irish organisations to assist health projects in several areas including mental health, smoking cessation and alcohol awareness. FIS also produces health promotional material and makes this available to the Irish community through affiliates and through other initiatives like the health bus and health promotion days.

The Irish community in Britain die younger than other ethnic minority communities are more likely to smoke and drink to excess levels and therefore suffer from higher rates of coronary heart disease, incidences of hospitalisation for mental health reasons and a range of other health difficulties.

FIS seeks to improve the health of the Irish in Britain through its programme of work with the community and informing policy makers in statutory services so that they can ensure adequate provision for the Irish community.

2. Response to the NHS London Single Equality Scheme

a) FIS supports the publication of a Single Equality Scheme (SES) by NHS London.

b) FIS welcomes the explicit recognition (on pg. 12 paragraph. 2) of the Irish community as a separate ethnic minority. A recent survey commissioned by the Mayor of London estimated London's Irish population to be approximately 8%. The 2001 Census shows a significant concentration of Irish people in several London boroughs, and indeed almost 1/3 of the entire Irish population of Britain lives in London.

c) FIS notes NHS London's views on tackling health inequalities (pgs. 12-15) and attaches the FIS submission and response to the Mayor of London's Health Inequalities Strategy (Appendix A).

d) FIS notes the creation of an Equality Reference Group which helped formulate the SES. FIS are disappointed that no representative of the Irish community

e) FIS welcomes the commitment to collating more effective data on ethnic monitoring. FIS encourages NHS London to ensure that this is done as effectively with patients and service users as it is with NHS staff.

It is important to note that ethnic monitoring by many NHS London organisations aggregates the White Irish into the White Other category. This leads to a lack of accurate information on the health needs of the Irish community, and means the PCTs and other statutory sector organisations often overlook the Irish community in planning, strategy and allocation of resources. A key plank of the SES, in FIS' view should be to ensure that this anomaly - which is in breach of the Department of Health's own guidelines - ends.

f) FIS broadly supports and welcomes the action plans identified to ensure that the SES effectively addresses inequality. We particularly welcome measures to:

· Identify diversity champions throughout the organisation. FIS trusts that this will include appointed persons to support and promote the Irish community

· Provide senior managers with equality and diversity training. FIS looks forward to working with NHS London to deliver this in relation to the Irish community.

· Ensure NHS London is actively involved in relevant events and forums. FIS facilitates and Irish Health Forum for key community organisations and has also organised major conferences on key health issues for the Irish community. FIS looks forward to NHS London supporting these activities in the future.

· Ensure equality issues are considered within strategic planning. FIS looks forward to playing a partnership role with NHS London in identifying and providing for the needs of the Irish community.

· Ensure Trusts and PCTs comply with their statutory duties re monitoring workforce. The contribution of the Irish community to the NHS, particularly by hospital nurses, has been immense. FIS looks forward to this being recognised and celebrated.

· Create an environment free from harassment of victimisation. FIS welcomes the measures to ensure the NHS London workplaces are free from any form of anti-Irish racism. Irish service users, as well as NHS staff, have often been subjected to prejudice and stereotyping and FIS hopes that this measure will address these issues too.