August 2009
Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust
Equality Impact Assessment First Stage Screening Template
The EIA Panel recommends that the Equality Screening Template (below) is used
to consider if equality impact assessment is necessary.
To be completed and attached when submitted to the Equality Impact Assessment
Panel for consideration and recommendation.
Appendix A - EQUALITY SCREENING TOOL – PHARMACY SERVICES
Yes/No
1.
Comments (state any evidence available that helped
you to answer the question)
Does the policy/guidance affect one
group less or more favourably than
another on the basis of:

Race, Nationality and Ethnic Origin
(including gypsies and travellers)
Yes
Race equality is relevant to Pharmacy because
patients whose first language is not English may
have difficulties in understanding their medicines
and how to take them correctly.
Most patient information leaflets handed out in
Pharmacy are in English and non-English
speaking patients will have difficulties
understanding the text. Pharmacy needs to set up
access to the Interpreter Service and Office
Managers to get a list of other languages spoken
by the staff within Pharmacy.

Disability
Yes
The outpatient counters in Chase Farm and
Edgware pharmacies are not lowered and
wheelchair bound patients may find it difficult to
speak to the staff. There is no system in place to
announce to partially sighted patients to let them
know their prescriptions are ready for collection.
There are no facilities to produce Braille
instructions at Barnet and Chase Farm hospitals
either. The ticket display monitor is installed on
the wrong side at Barnet Hospital.

Gender and Culture
Yes
There is no private area to discuss sensitive
information with the patients on either site. There
is also no published information for patients who
preferred to speak to a Pharmacy of the same
sex. The preference for Pharmacy is to identify a
private consulting room for this purpose and to
raise awareness of the Patient Helpline telephone
number.

Religion or belief
Yes
We do not normally inform the patients about the
origin of gelatine capsules unless they specifically
ask for the information. Some patients e.g. Hindu
religion may be affected by gelatine capsules
made from bovine source. We are training our
staff and suggest they raised this with patients
who are known vegetarian.
Yes
There is no private area to discuss sensitive
information with the patients on either site. There

Sexual orientation including lesbian,
gay and bisexual people
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August 2009
Yes/No
Comments (state any evidence available that helped
you to answer the question)
is also no published information for patients who
preferred to speak to a Pharmacy of the same
sex. The preference for Pharmacy is to identify a
private consulting room for this purpose and to
raise awareness of the Patient Helpline telephone
number.

Age
Yes
Elderly patients who have reduced mobility will
find the corridor at Barnet Hospital too long to
walk. Ensure the outpatient staff know about this
and advise the elderly patients accordingly. Put up
a sign at the from of the door to inform elderly
patients of the long corridor. The door to CFH
outpatient department is quite stiff and some
elderly patients especially those on crutches and
in wheelchairs may find the doors difficult to
negotiate. The plan is to leave the door open
during working hours.
2.
Is there any evidence that some groups
are affected differently?
Yes
Patients whose first language is not English.
Ticket display monitor not readily visible at Barnet
Hospital and patients with hearing difficulties may
be affected. No loudspeaker system and partiallysighted patients may not be able to read the ticket
display monitor.
3.
If you have identified potential
discrimination, are any exceptions valid,
legal and/or justifiable?
No
There is none.
4.
Is the impact of the equality issues
identified in Pharmacy likely to be
negative?
Yes
Please see above
5.
If so can the impact be avoided?
Yes

Access to Interpreter Service

Moving the ticket display unit at Barnet
Hospital to a more visible position

Putting up telephone number for
Pharmacy Helpline in dispensaries

Identify an area for private consultation

Find out how to access leaflets in other
languages

Advise vegetarian patients about contents
of gelatine capsules
6.
What alternatives are there to achieving
the policy/guidance without the impact?
Yes
Provide a list of staff in the department who can
speak other languages to the outpatient
pharmacy. Bid for capital money to produce
leaflets in top 3 non-English language and move
display unit at Barnet Hospital.
7.
Can we reduce the impact by taking
different action?
Yes
Partially. It would be preferable to have a
dedicated Pharmacy private counselling room
If you have identified a potential discriminatory impact of this procedural document, please refer it to the Equality Impact Assessment
Panel, together with any suggestions as to the action required to avoid/reduce this impact.
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August 2009
Equality Impact Assessment Form for High Level Screening – Pharmacy
The aim of this form is to establish whether there is any impact i.e. positive or negative on how services are provided whether this is
intended or not. It will also consider what needs to be addressed to ensure equality of opportunity in accessing services.
Where areas are found to experience negative impact or have a high potential of adverse impact, a full assessment should be
undertaken.
1a. Name of the Service
Pharmacy
1b. Is this a new service or an existing service ?
An existing service
1c. Is this a full impact assessment or a partial impact assessment ?
This is a full impact assessment
1d. State Date of Assessment
August 2009
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August 2009
2. Main Purpose of the Service
The primary role of the Pharmacy Department at Barnet, Chase Farm and Edgware Hospitals is to care for the local
patients, through ensuring the best use of medicines, and providing information about medicines to both patients and to
the professionals who treat them.
3. Current Priority for Reviewing the Service
To consider an equality impact assessment.
Low 
Medium 
High √
4a. Overall Equality Question
Is there a reason to believe that the Pharmacy impacts disproportionately on a particular group of patients i.e patients
who suffer from physical impairment or visual impairment. Check all the equality strands, age, disability, gender, race,
sexual orientation, religion or belief.
Negative impact.
Patients whose first language is not English may not know how to access all the services provided by Pharmacy. They may also
have difficulties understanding the instructions on the labels. Pharmacy is designing a poster to raise awareness of the Pharmacy
Helpline, which is available to patients between 10am and 2pm. Pharmacy is also developing pictorial instructions to help those
patients with language difficulties. We are working with the Interpreter services to ensure staff can access for non-English speaking
patients when needed (contact Humera Khan, Interpreter Manager at Barnet Hospital).
The Inpatient Survey 2008 carried out by Picker Institute showed that 29% of patients felt that they did not receive written or verbal
information about their medicines on discharge.
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August 2009
4b. It is important to take account of how the service is accessed, how delivery impacts on men and women, and how the
service carries out its duties to patients. Please state which target group this service impacts upon and state whether it’s
a positive or negative impact and give further details as to why.
Negative impact.
There is presently no designated consulting room for pharmacist to discuss sensitive matters with patients.
5a. Race /Ethnicity Equality
You could look at a breakdown of patients along ethnic origins in the local population/ethnicity of patients compared to
2001 Census, 2007 Patient Survey Outcomes, Patient Suggestion Schemes data, etc, if you don’t have any, then discuss
what you need to put in place to seek patients views.
The Inpatient Survey 2008 showed that 84% of our patients are from White background, 2% mixed and 3% Asian. We are working
with the Interpreter Service to develop medicines information leaflets for the top 3 non-English languages.
5b. Is there any inequality in the service provided ?
Yes. Currently the Pharmacy only has leaflets in English language and do not specifically carter for other ethnic groups.
5c. Do you have a higher rate of DNA in a particular ethnic group if yes, how many and what does the ethnicity data show
us ?. Is there any adverse trend?
We have not monitored any current data held on ethnicity. The first task is to ensure that the data is collected within outpatient
dispensary for all patients, and then an analysis can be undertaken. This would require a collaborative effort between the
Outpatient team and the Pharmacy directorate.
6. Age Equality
The Pharmacy service is open to all age groups of patients.
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August 2009
6a. What is the average age of patients attending the service ?
This information is available for the Medicines Directorate but it needs to be specific to Pharmacy.
6b. Which age group represents the highest patient activity/throughput ?
From the Inpatient Survey 2008 the highest user group is aged 70 + which is at 41%, followed by 40-49 at 23%, 60-69 at 20%.
6c. Has the service put anything in place to address any particular need for a specific age group ?
Positive Impact
The new Pharmacy labelling system allows the pharmacists to produce large prints for patients with sight difficulties. There are play
areas in both waiting rooms for children and chairs for elderly patients to sit when they wait for their medicines.
Barnet Pharmacy will put a poster to inform patients of the long corridor and advise those on crutches or walking difficulties to ask
someone to help them.
7. Gender
7a. Which gender access the service most ?
From the Inpatient Survey 2008 by Picker Institute 39% were male and 60% female. In practice we see a good mix of male and
female patients accessing the Pharmacy service.
7b. Has anything been put in place to help more access the service ?
There is a good mix of female and male pharmacy staff working in the department. Pharmacy will oblige if there is a patient
preference for a particular gender to counsel them about their medicines.
7c. Do we need to take any positive actions to target due to issues relating to deprived wards in the locality ?
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August 2009
The CSC is planning to run outreach services in West Hendon where it has been identified that there is a gap in the service. This is
a positive action and will benefit the local community.
7d. Are there any cultural issues identified that may affect the patient group ?
This does not seem to be a problem to date. We would write on the Patient Helpline poster about patient’s right to request to
discuss sensitive matter in private and confidential.
7e. Does the trust need to identify any local stakeholder partners to address any of the issues stated above?
The Pharmacy needs to work with the local Racial Equality Councils to establish whether there is any patient group affected.
8. Disability Equality
8a. Do we have any data on the range of disabilities presented by patients and if yes, how has the service put in place
reasonable adjustments to address their needs i.e. hard hearing/sight impairments – have we got loops in place on the
wards, have we got a special appointments letter we send to them directing them to named staff to help them ?
Positive Impact
The data on the range of disabilities is currently unavailable. We have ramps/ lifts/wheelchairs/ toilets available for patients with
disabilities at the both sites. We do not have hearing loops for the hearing impaired, or Braille leaflets for the visually impaired. We
do not have pictorial leaflets for patients with learning needs. Without relevant data it is difficult to ascertain the reasonable
adjustments required by the services within Pharmacy.
8b. What additional support have we put in place for disabled patients ?
Additional chairs for seating at Barnet Hospital. Capital bid for counter to be lowered at Edgware Pharmacy and ticket counter to be
moved at Barnet Pharmacy.
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August 2009
8c. What other barriers have we identified for them in accessing our services ?
Positive Impact
Language barrier for patients who require an interpreter. We have ‘Language line’ and access to interpreters if required. Leaflets to
be translated in other languages. Use of Pictorial posters for patients with learning difficulties and non-English speaking.
Consideration of positioning of signposts in relation to patients with disabilities.
9. Religious belief
9a. Does the service know the religious or beliefs of majority of its patients ?
This information is not currently available for Pharmacy.
9b. Is the service meeting religious/ beliefs needs of patients accessing the service?
We are raising awareness on the origin of gelatine capsules for Pharmacy staff, in case vegetarian and certain religious patient
groups want to know the contents.
9c. What adjustments do we have in place for religious equality? i.e. patients who may for example request the need to be
assisted by a female nurse in line with patient choice.
Positive Impact
We have a good mix of female and male pharmacy staff working in Barnet and Chase Farm. If a need for a male pharmacist arises
at Edgware Hospital the Pharmacy Manager will contact the Outpatient Department to request assistant from a male nurse.
9d. Sexual Orientation Equality
Postive Impact
All patients treated with dignity and respect regardless of sexual orientation. Gender unspecific toilet facilities are available at
Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals. There are also genders specific WC’s available at both sites with baby changing facilities.
Equality training is provided to all staff and monitoring of complaints will help to develop and enhance the services available, and to
provide extra resources where necessary.
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10. Further Information
10a. Is action in place to address any impact identified and what other actions are you considering in the light of these
findings ?.
Further information and Action Plan to be agreed
Action Required
Who is responsible
Date of Completion
Investigate use of interpreters to contact Chief Pharmacist
patients where the GP has indicated that
English is not their first language.
31 August 2009
Displaying Pharmacy Patient Helpline Dispensary Managers
contact
details
in
all
outpatient
dispensary waiting areas.
30 September 2009
Identify private consulting
Outpatient Department
30 September 2009
area
Move ticket display unit at Barnet
in Chief Pharmacist
Senior Pharmacy Manager Barnet
31 October 2009
Investigate provision of leaflets and Senior Pharmacy Manager Chase
patient correspondence in Braille and
other languages.
31 October 2009
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August 2009
Raise awareness
gelatine capsules
about
sources
of Medicines Information Manager
31 October 2009
All staff to attend Equality Awareness Senior Pharmacy Managers
training
31 December 2009
Incorporate Equality Awareness into all Senior Pharmacy Managers
staff appraisals
31 December 2009
Hearing Loops
31 December 2009
Senior Pharmacy Managers
Amend departmental patient satisfaction Chief Pharmacist
survey to cover disability, race, gender,
sexual orientation, religion and belief, age
and human rights.
31 December 2009
10b. Please give details of action taken.




Patient questionnaires
Patient forums
Posters for Matron to distribute in Outpatient clinics
Leaflets in other languages to be considered
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10c. State what the Pharmacy could put in place to promote equality for patients ?
Ensure all staff attend Equality and Diversity training sessions and feed back to staff about patients’ needs .
11. Human Rights / Mental Health Capacity Act Training - Do you regularly monitor staff release and attendance at the
Trust’s Human Rights and Mental Health Capacity Act training ?
This is monitored by HR department.
12. Date for next review: October 2010…………………………………………………
13. Revised Priority for reviewing policy: Low 
Medium 
High √
14. Names of Speciality Medicine Leads for Equality Impact Assessment:
TF Chan, Chief Pharmacist BCF
Carol Ashurst, Pharmacy Manager, Barnet Hospital
Beverley Bevan, Medicines Management Principal Pharmacist BCF
Lyn Jackson, Pharmacy Manager, Edgware Hospital
Alan Sebti, Pharmacy Manager, Chase Farm Hospital
Stella Wan, Production Services Manager, BCF
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