Completing equality impact assessments: guidance for royal colleges and faculties

What is an equality impact statement?

An EIA is a process of systematically examining the impact of policies, practices, and activities on individuals or groups protected under the Equality Act 2010, and other groups including those from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds. The Equality Act 2010 applies to England, Scotland, and Wales, however Northern Ireland has its own equality legislation.

The nine protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010 are:

  • age
  • disability
  • gender reassignment
  • marriage and civil partnership
  • pregnancy and maternity
  • race
  • religion or belief
  • sex
  • sexual orientation.

Section 149(1) of the Equality Act 2010 defines what the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) is, and what it means in terms of general and specific duties. Additionally, there are different specific duties in England, Wales, and Scotland which are outlined in the guide to the public sector equality duty.

In the exercise of their functions, all public bodies must consciously consider the need to:

  • eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation, and any other conduct that is prohibited under the Act
  • advance equality of opportunity between people who share a relevant protected characteristic and those who do not
  • foster good relations between people who share a relevant protected characteristic and those who do not.

Although not public bodies, royal colleges and faculties have duties under the PSED because of the functions they perform in developing curricula and assessments. They have a duty to demonstrate ‘due regard’ to the PSED and assess the potential impacts of changes to curricula and assessments on different groups. Although not a legal requirement, EIAs are an established and credible tool for documenting and demonstrating due regard to the PSED, which is required by law.

When do you need to conduct an equality impact assessment?

EIAs need to be completed for all substantial (ie not administrative) changes to curricula or assessments. You should conduct EIAs at the beginning of the development process for new curricula or assessments, and when developing changes to existing ones. You should review and update them throughout the development process, to make sure that final proposals for change submitted to the GMC continue to have the desired effect and are meeting the needs of the PSED.

In the interest of transparency and openness, we’d encourage you to make your EIAs publicly available, for example by publishing them on your website. Following approval and implementation of changes, EIAs should remain under regular review as part of the evaluation process and to maintain ongoing compliance with PSED.