healthscotland.com

Health Scotland was asked by the Scottish Government Health Directorate's Mutuality, Equality and Human Rights Board (MEHRB) to take forward a one year pilot project on human rights and health in Scotland. The outcomes for this project were:

• Improved knowledge and understanding of human rights and a stronger ownership of the agenda by all boards.
• Better understanding of the synergy between human rights and equality and of the benefits of embedding human rights into workforce and service delivery policy and practice
• NHS Equality and Diversity Leads better able to champion a fair, equal, diverse, human rights culture in their organisations.
• Corporate confidence to take action to change practice in the NHS in Scotland to achieve improved outcomes for staff, patients and their carers.

This project reflects the importance which the Scottish Government Health Directorate and health care professionals attach to promoting and protecting human rights. Health board staff are collectively central to implementing this, ensuring that the rights of patients, staff, family and carers are equally respected. All staff have critical roles to play in this, in particular those in clinical leadership and operational management roles, through sharing exemplary practice and the recognised routes, such as clinical fora, to embed this into everyday practice.