This course explains the Equality Act 2010 and what it means for clinical care and teamwork, how unconscious bias can affect clinical decisions and workplace behaviour, and what you can do to reduce its effects. It also supports professionals who have received feedback or a complaint about discriminatory behaviour to reflect with insight and build a practical remediation plan.
What you will learn
- Name the nine protected characteristics and describe the main forms of prohibited conduct under the Equality Act 2010, including the duty to make reasonable adjustments.
- Explain how unconscious bias and stereotyping can affect history-taking, diagnosis, pain management, referral and team decisions.
- Apply practical techniques to reduce the effect of bias on your own clinical decisions and behaviour.
- Respond appropriately when you witness or experience discrimination, harassment or microaggressions at work.
- Describe what regulators expect from professionals in relation to fairness, respect and non-discrimination.
- Write a reflection and a remediation plan following a concern about discriminatory behaviour.
Course content
- Why equality and bias matter in healthcare (2 min)
- The Equality Act 2010 (3 min)
- Unconscious bias: what it is and how it affects decisions (3 min)
- Reducing the effect of bias: practical techniques (2 min)
- When you witness or experience discrimination (2 min)
- Regulator expectations: insight and remediation (2 min)
- Case study and remediation plan (4 min)
- Knowledge check (10 questions, 10 min)
- Guided reflection (15 min)
Standards and guidance covered
- Equality Act 2010, including the public sector equality duty in section 149
- GMC: Good Medical Practice (2024), including the duties to treat patients and colleagues fairly and to avoid discrimination
- NMC: The Code (2015, updated 2018), including treating people as individuals and avoiding making assumptions
- HCPC: Standards of conduct, performance and ethics (2024), including the standard on challenging discrimination
- GPhC: Standards for pharmacy professionals (2017), including person-centred care and respecting diversity
- NHS England: NHS Workforce Race Equality Standard and Workforce Disability Equality Standard
- NHS England: Accessible Information Standard
Certificate
Courses are free to study. When you pass the knowledge check (80%) and complete your reflection, you can buy a verified certificate showing your CPD time, with a unique ID and QR code that anyone can check on our verification page.
Study free at your own pace on any device.
Practitioner Insight is an independent education provider. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the GMC, MPTS, NMC, HCPC, GPhC or any NHS organisation, and this information is not legal advice. If you have been referred to a regulator, speak to your defence organisation, trade union or legal representative.