Diversity in Health and Care Partners Programme

Supporting health and care organisations to create more inclusive workplace cultures, where difference is welcomed and celebrated.

About our programme

The application process has opened for our 2025/2026 Diversity in Health and Care Partners Programme, which is run annually and starts in September 2025. It's a comprehensive organisational development programme which helps organisations advance equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in the workplace.

Delivered through a year-long series of events, it includes a virtual session for board members, followed by four face-to-face interactive modules and specialist virtual masterclasses. In addition, we host a series of drop-in networking sessions for EDI leads and staff network chairs.

The programme provides access to leading industry experts, good practice, guidance, resources and networking opportunities. It is designed around and reflects the ambitions and requirements of the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan and NHS EDI improvement plan.

Built on a foundation of delivering successful diversity and inclusion partners programmes, this initiative provides thought leadership, tools and tips to help put your organisation at the forefront of equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) practice.

The 2023 Workforce Disability Equality Standard (WDES) report noted that organisations participating in our programme performed better in three of the WDES metrics.

Watch our short animation to find out more about the programme

Underpinned by the NHS values, the programme supports

leaders to integrate the latest sustainable diversity and inclusion practices
the creation of culturally appropriate and inclusive services to meet the needs of a diverse range of patients and care service users
organisations to be the best employers and service providers they can be
efforts to achieve the requirements of NHS and other external benchmarks and standards.

Find out what our partners think about the programme

Read our brochure to learn more about the programme. To secure your place on the 2025/26 programme please complete the application form before Friday 18 July 2025.

Who the programme is for

Organisations	Individuals
NHS trusts (including acute, community, learning disabilities, mental health, ambulance and integrated care systems) Local government organisations Private sector organisations providing health and social care services Voluntary and charity sector organisations	Board members Equality and diversity leads Human resources professionals Staff network chairs, co-chairs and leads Learning and organisational development leads Service improvement, staff-side representatives and project managers

The programme provides an opportunity for participants to claim Continuing Professional Development hours following attendance at our modules. Please note these are individually assessed and accredited by CPD following each event.
The cost of this programme is £3,500 + VAT per annum per organisation. This secures three places and we recommend a board member, EDI lead and staff network chair attend each face to face module. An unlimited number of delegates can attend our virtual masterclasses.
Read our brochure to learn more about the programme. To secure your place, please complete our application form before Friday 18 July 2025.

Should you have any questions, please email our diversity and inclusion team.
Face-to-face modules - taking place 10am-4pm
- Module 1 - Thursday 15 October 2025 - Horizon, 2, Brewery Wharf, Kendell Street, Leeds LS10 1JR
- Module 2 - Date and location to be confirmed
- Module 3 - Date and location to be confirmed
- Module 4 - Tuesday 1 July 2026 - Horizon, 2, Brewery Wharf, Kendell Street, Leeds LS10 1JR
Virtual masterclasses
Dates and times to be confirmed.
Virtual drop-in sessions for EDI leads
Dates and times to be confirmed
Virtual drop-in sessions for staff network chairs
Dates and times to be confirmed
- Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care System
- Bromley Healthcare
- Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust
- Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
- Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Dorset HealthCare NHS Foundation Trust Federation
- Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Hartlepool and Stockton Health GP Federation
- Herefordshire and Worcestershire Integrated Care System
- King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust
- Lincolnshire Community and Hospitals NHS Group
- Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Local Optical Committee Support Unit (LOSCU)
- Mediq Healthcare UK Limited
- Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
- National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)
- NHS Counter Fraud Authority
- NHS Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board
- NHS North Central London Integrated Care Board
- NHS Professionals
- NHS South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board
- North Cumbria Integrated Care Board
- North London NHS Foundation Trust
- Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust
- Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust
- Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust
- South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust
- The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust
- University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust
- Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust
- Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust

This programme is part of the NHS Confederation's wider tackling inequalities programme. If you are an EDI director or board-level leader, you may be interested in the NHS Confederation's Tackling Inequalities Leadership Programme. A professional development initiative aimed at equipping EDI directors and other board-level leaders with the strategic skills needed to effectively address health inequalities.