As a baseline, the particular ‘groups’ we might look at are those covered by protected characteristics in the Equality Act 2010: Age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.
However, there are other groups within society who we know to be disadvantaged in their access to healthcare whom we also need to include within our considerations, including (but not limited to) those who are homeless or in unstable housing situations, those living with addiction, those struggling with a language barrier, those living in poverty or from economically deprived areas, refugees and members of the Gipsy, Roma and Traveller communities.
When thinking about examples to share in relation to diversity and inclusivity, don’t forget to consider intersectionality. Being a member of one group may privilege or disadvantage an individual, but the impact of that could also be increased or decreased by which other characteristics they have, or other groups they belong to. Consider how you can help students understand that each individual set of circumstances will be unique, and that the very plurality of those experiences will be what makes each case and person individual.
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