Equality of opportunity is fundamental to the selection, training and assessment of anaesthetists.-   Patients, trainees and trainers and all others with whom interactions occur in the practice of anaesthesia have a right to be treated with fairness and transparency in all circumstances. Promoting equality and valuing diversity are central to the anaesthesia curriculum. Discrimination, harassment or victimisation of any of these groups of people may be related to: ability, age, bodily appearance and decoration, class, creed, caste, culture, gender, health status, relationship status, mental health, offending background, place of origin, political beliefs, race, and responsibility for dependants, religion or sexual orientation.

The importance of Equality and Diversity in the NHS has been addressed by the Department of Health in England in ‘The Vital Connection’³⁴, in Scotland in ‘Our National Health: A Plan for Action, A Plan for Change’³⁵ and in Wales by the establishment of the NHS Wales Equality Unit. These themes must therefore be considered an integral part of the NHS commitment to patients and employees alike. The theme was developed in the particular instance of the medical workforce in ‘Sharing the Challenge, Sharing the Benefits – Equality and Diversity in the Medical Workforce’³⁶. Furthermore, Equality and Diversity are enshrined in legislation enacted in both the United Kingdom and the European Union. Prominent among the relevant items of legislation are:

• Disability Discrimination Act 2005;
• Disability Discrimination [Public Authorities][Statutory Duties][Amendment] Regulations 2008;
• Employment Act 2002; 
• Employment Relations Act 1999; 
• Employment Rights Act 1996; 
• Equality Act 2006 [excepts 25,26,33,43,Part 2, s81 and Part 4]; 
• Equality Act 2010;
• European Union Employment Directive and European Union Race and Ethnic Origin Directive; 
• Flexible Working [Eligibility, Complaints and Remedies] Regulations 2002;
• Human Rights Act 1998; 
• Indirect Discrimination and Burden of Proof Regulations 2001; 
• Maternity and Paternity Leave Regulations 1999; 
• Maternity and Parental Leave [Amendment] Regulations 2001;
• Maternity and Parental Leave etc and the Paternity and Adoption Leave [Amendment] Regulations 2006;
• Maternity and Parental Leave etc and the Paternity and Adoption Leave [Amendment] Regulations 2008;
• Part Time Workers Regulations 2000; 
• Race Relations [Amendment] Act 2000; 
• The Race Relations Act 1976 [Amendment] Regulations 2003;
• Race Relations Act 1976 [General Statutory Duty] Order 2006;
• Race Relations Act 1976 (Amendment) Regulations 2008;
• Shared Parental Leave Regulations 2014
• Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001; and
• Work and Families Act 2006

It is therefore considered essential that all persons involved in the management and delivery of training are themselves trained and well versed and current in the tenets of Equality and Diversity.

As part of their professional development trainees will be expected to receive appropriate training in equality and diversity to the standards specified by the GMC³⁷ and to apply those principles to every aspect of all their relationships. The delivery of this training is the responsibility of the Postgraduate Dean. A record of completion of this training must be held in the trainee’s portfolio.