Equity in healthcare doesn't mean offering the same services to everyone—it means making sure every individual has fair access to the care they need to live a healthy life. Factors like language, income, location, or cultural background shouldn’t stand in the way of good health. By recognising and addressing the diverse needs of our communities, healthcare organisations can take meaningful steps toward creating more inclusive, accessible, and equitable care for all.
We all deserve to live a healthy life and have access to the care we need to do so. Our income, ethnicity, postcode, or first language shouldn’t impact our access to care—or the outcomes we receive. That’s where equity in healthcare comes in.
Is your organisation taking steps to ensure everyone can access the services they need and receive the care they deserve?
To achieve equity, we must acknowledge that not everybody is the same—and so we cannot treat everyone the same. Instead, we need to address individual and community needs, and implement changes that make care inclusive, accessible, and effective for all.
This aligns with NHS England’s Core20PLUS5 approach, which identifies the most deprived 20% of the population (Core20), along with population groups at risk of poorer health outcomes (PLUS), and five key clinical priorities. Below are five actionable steps that support this mission.
Over one million people in England and Wales speak little or no English. These individuals often rely on interpreting services to access healthcare and understand providers.
Language barriers can lead to misdiagnosis, confusion around treatment, and worse health outcomes. Professional interpreting and translation services are essential—they should never be replaced by friends or family members.
Wordskii Connect is one example of how technology can empower patients to access language support on demand. This gives patients the independence to attend appointments, understand care plans, and communicate confidently with providers.
Actionable Step:
Regularly assess when and where patients need language support. Offer on-demand solutions that match real-time needs.
Data is a powerful tool—but only when it's inclusive. Healthcare organisations use feedback and usage data to identify service gaps, but inaccessible feedback mechanisms may exclude key voices.
For instance, 7% of UK households lacked internet access in 2023. If surveys are only online and only in English, older adults, migrants, or those from lower-income backgrounds may be left out.
Actionable Step:
Offer feedback options in multiple formats—in person, on paper, by phone, and in preferred languages. Be transparent about how data is used and involve communities in the process.
Even within a universal healthcare system, environmental barriers can restrict access to care:
Equity means reaching people where they are. Solutions may include mobile clinics, evening appointments, video consultations, or community-based care.
The Ockenden Report highlighted how structural and access-related failings disproportionately affect vulnerable groups, particularly in maternity care. Addressing these barriers is a matter of safety and fairness.
Actionable Step:
Audit your services for physical, financial, and systemic barriers. Prioritise flexibility and community collaboration in your solutions.
Cultural awareness is a cornerstone of equitable care. Patients may have beliefs, practices, and past experiences that shape how they interact with healthcare.
A diverse, culturally competent workforce builds trust. Training staff in cultural humility, unconscious bias, and inclusive communication helps foster safer, more respectful environments.
At Word360, we work closely with clients to support inclusive technology implementation. From Wordskii-on-Wheels (WoW) device training to feedback-based service tailoring, we ensure solutions are accessible and usable for frontline teams.
Actionable Step:
Invest regularly in cultural competency training. Where possible, hire staff who reflect the communities you serve.
Equity must be more than a reaction—it should be built into the fabric of your organisation.
Embedding equity means proactively designing systems that work for everyone. The Darzi Review of Healthcare for London emphasized prevention, integrated care, and fair access as foundational to quality care.
Actionable Step:
Conduct equity audits and involve communities in shaping services. Embed equity as a continuous commitment—not a one-off project.
By following these five steps, your organisation can make meaningful progress toward more equitable care—aligned with Core20PLUS5, and informed by lessons from the Ockenden and Darzi reports.
Equity isn’t a destination—it’s a journey. And it starts by recognising difference, listening with empathy, and designing healthcare systems that leave no one behind.
To hear more about how our services can support you in your missing to deliver exceptional patient care, get in touch at the email below.