Screening-Pro-forma-Graduate-Entry-Medical-School

Part Information about the policy Note: ‘Policy’ includes any strategy, policy (proposed/amended/existing) or practice and/or decision, whether written or unwritten Name of the policy Decision to locate a School of Medicine at Magee Campus Is this an existing, revised or a new policy? New What is it trying to achieve? (intended aims/outcomes) Establishment of a new School of Medicine at Ulster University through the delivery of Undergraduate education to train doctors, to improve access to healthcare in the North West and in due course to improve the health of the population through education and research Are there any Section 75 categories which might be expected to benefit from the intended policy? If so, explain how The population of the North West is socioeconomically deprived, with poorer health outcomes than the rest of Northern Ireland (Bengoa), therefore any of the section 75 categories who are socioeconomically deprived is likely to benefit from the decision to locate the School in the North West The North West of the region is a geographic mix of urban and rural deprivation There are significant difficulties recruiting and retaining staff, both in HSC Trusts and in General practice (NIAO and BMA) Whilst there is also significant deprivation in Belfast, that region is already served by a Medical School and the Belfast Trust has the least difficulty in recruiting doctors in Northern Ireland ( NIAO) The Medical School places review (recommendation 9) was specific in recommending that an expansion of medical student places in Northern Ireland should attract NI domiciles from underserved areas, and the course be organised such that students will be exposed to medical practice in underserved areas The Magee campus in the North West has been identified as the most appropriate location for this to be achieved By locating the School of Medicine at the Magee Campus, we therefore expect to mitigate health inequalities experienced in the North West This decision will encourage students from underserved areas to train and work as doctors locally Who initiated or wrote the policy? The policy (decision) was initiated by the Vice-Chancellor of the University Who owns and who implements the policy? The policy is owned by the Vice-Chancellor, and the policy implemented by the Executive Dean of Faculty of Life and Health Sciences Part Implementation factors Are there any factors which could contribute to/detract from the intended aim/outcome of the policy/decision? (Please select one answer) x Yes No If yes, are they x Financial: funding from the Department for the Economy, and Department for Health legislative? x other: Accreditation by UK General Medical Council Main stakeholders affected Who are the internal and external stakeholders (actual or potential) that the policy will impact upon? x Staff x Students x Other service users (e.g prospective students, conference delegates) x Other public sector organisations x Voluntary/community/trade unions x Other, please specify: local population Other policies with a bearing on this policy Policy Name and 50 Strategy Strategy for Learning and Teaching Enhancement (SLATE) People and Culture Strategy Policy Owner Vice-Chancellor Interim Dean of Learning Enhancement Education Director of People and Culture Part Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy Equality Scheme Equal Opportunities Policy Global Engagement Strategy Policy on Recruiting and Selecting Employees Admissions Policy Research and Impact Strategy REF2021 Code of Practice Director of People and Culture Director of People and Culture Director of People and Culture Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research and External Affairs) Director of People and Culture Interim Dean of Learning Enhancement Education Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research and External Affairs) Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research and External Affairs) Part Available evidence What evidence/information (both qualitative and quantitative) have you gathered to inform this policy? (Please specify details for each of the Section 75 categories) Note: evidence can come from many sources Examples include the University’s management information systems, internal or external research, surveys or consultation exercises Anecdotal evidence such as feedback from service users may also be used The following evidence was considered: General Medical Council applicant and entrant data: GMC progression reports GMC Welcomed and Valued Medical Schools Council MSC selection alliance report Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency, NISRA Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) 2016-17 Health Inequalities Sub Regional Report 2017 Derry and Strabane data Community support planning pack “Systems not Structures” report on changing health and social care in NI North West Migrants forum 10 State of Medical Education and Training 2019 (General Medical Council) 11 Medical Schools Places review (2019) 12 Ulster University Outline Business Case vs.5 submitted to Department of Health October 2019 13 Northern Ireland Audit Office 14 guidance on racism for medical students 15 Jewish Medical Association Section 75 category Details of evidence/information Religious belief The University’s equal opportunities (EO) data were reviewed On February 2020, our staff profile was 50.3% Protestant, 49.7% Catholic Compared with February 2015, this indicates a 3.6% increase in Catholic staff At the Magee campus, 77.43% staff were catholic and 22.57% protestant, reflecting the local community 2011 Census data for Derry city indicates a population which is 69.73% Catholic, 16.32% Protestant, and 13.95% “other, no religion or not stated” In the Academic Year (AY) 2019/20, 73.9% of our students identified as Christian and 12.7% identified as having ‘No religion’ This shows little change compared with AY2014/15, when 75.3% identified as Christian and 12.4% identified as having ‘No religion’ There is no comparable data in relation to other Graduate Entry Medical Schools in the UK Whilst unrelated to religious Part background per se, Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) 2017 data and the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) 2016-17 data demonstrate that there is a low proportion of rural-domiciled students studying at the current medical school at Queens University Belfast; in relation to the number of students from Belfast itself Political opinion The University does not collect information on Political Opinion or make assumptions regarding Political Opinion based on Community Background Racial group The University’s EO data were reviewed On February 2020, our staff profile was 94.4% White, 5.6% Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) This indicates a 1.6% increase in BME staff compared with 2015 The staff profile on the Magee campus is in line with the overall university balance In AY 2019/20, 5.5% of our students identified as BME This indicates a 1.9% increase in BME students compared with AY2014/15 Our BME profile suggests that we are three times as diverse as the local population The Northern Ireland Census (2011) suggests that 1.8% of the NI population is BME 2018 GMC data on applicants to Graduate Entry medical degree programmes at existing medical schools shows 70% entrants are white, 19% BME and 11% not recorded (mean) This data is also presented by the Medical Schools Council Selection Alliance Age The University’s EO data were reviewed On February 2020, over one third (34.6%) of our staff were in the ‘46-55’ age band 26% of staff were in the ‘36-45’ age band and 22.2% of staff were aged ‘56 and above’; and data for the Magee campus are in line with this In AY 2019/20, the majority of students (61.5%) were aged 21 and under 40 This indicates a 0.2% increase in students within this age band compared with AY 2014/15 This coincides with a 0.3% increase in students aged under 21 (27.3%) and no increase in students aged 40 and over (11.2%) Because the degree programme is for graduate entrants, almost all students will be over the age of 21 at entry The local community in the Derry and Strabane region are ageing in line with the community in Northern Ireland as a whole Part With increasing age comes increasing ill health and disability, and local data indicates that whilst morbidity and mortality are largely in line with the rest of Northern Ireland, the most deprived wards of the City of Derry have a life expectancy significantly lower than that of Northern Ireland as a whole Morbidity and mortality data are provided in the Systems not Structures publication of 2016 Marital status The University’s EO data were reviewed In 2020, 60% of staff were ‘Married or in a Civil Partnership’, a marginal decrease of 1% compared to 2015 (61%) In AY2019/20, 76.2% of students were ‘Single’, a 1.6% decrease compared with AY2014/15 There is no comparator data on student marital status available from other Graduate Entry medical degree programmes in the UK Sexual orientation Although we collect staff data on sexual orientation, this is not considered to be reliable We not collect student data on sexual orientation Men and women generally The University’s EO data were reviewed In 2020, 56% of staff were ‘Female’ This indicates a 2% increase in female staff compared with 2015 In AY2019/20, 57.7% of students were ‘Female’, a 1.6% increase compared with AY2014/15 According to the GMC, 42% of entrants to Graduate Entry medical programmes in 2018 were male, 58% were female Disability The University’s EO data were reviewed In 2020, 5.1% of staff declared a disability, an increase of 1.1% compared with 2015 In AY2019/20, 11% of students declared a disability, an increase of 2.6% compared with AY2014/15 Our university disability declaration rate is lower than expected, compared with the local population The NI Census (2011) found that 20.6% of the NI population stated that their day-to-day activities were limited because of a long-standing health problem or disability 10.3% of the population of Northern Ireland claim Disability Living Allowance Disability rates are higher in the elderly than in the younger population 2016 data from NISRA indicates that the greatest growth in the aging population is in the areas of the Western, South Eastern and Southern Health Part and Social Care Trusts Furthermore, health inequalities are worst in the Derry and Strabane, and Fermanagh and Omagh Local Government Districts (LGD) than elsewhere in Northern Ireland ( admittedly a proxy measure for levels of disability but with a close relationship) This data demonstrates that there is a significant need for healthcare for this high level of disability GMC data on entrants to Graduate Entry medical degree programmes in 2017 demonstrates 18% report a disability compared to 8% in 2007 The GMC has encouraged declaration of disability and welcomed application for disabled students in order that the medical workforce better represents the population it serves and to ensure students are appropriately supported in their studies A declared disability rate of medical school entrants of 18% approaches that of 20.6% in the general population Dependants The University’s EO data were reviewed In 2020, 46.2% of staff had dependants This indicates an increase of 1.5% compared with 2015 In AY2019/20, 15% of students declared they had dependants, similar to AY2014/15 We not have comparator data for Graduate Entry medical students from other programmes in the UK Part Needs, experiences and priorities Taking into account the information referred to above, what are the different needs, experiences and priorities of each of the following categories, in relation to the particular policy/decision? (Please specify details for each of the Section 75 categories) Section 75 category Details of needs/experiences/priorities Religious belief The School anticipates recruitment of staff and students with a variety of beliefs The University cannot anticipate their specific religious or cultural needs in advance but works with the North West Migrants Forum to ensure support is in place The North West Islamic Forum is also situated in the city of Derry very close to the Magee campus The delivery of an intense Graduate Entry programme of study in medicine is full time and with term times longer than for usual university courses Adjustments to timetables for students with specific religious needs are less easy to accommodate within these parameters, and similarly, assessment arrangements often cannot be adjusted to take account of religious observances such as Ramadan Support and guidance on this is provided by the Islamic Council of Great Britain, and Jewish Council of the UK for example; but general guidance is that the professional nature of the course will take priority over religious constraints although these are to be accommodated wherever possible The nearest Synagogue to the Magee campus is in Belfast, so for Jewish students wishing to attend the place of worship, there would need to be care-by-case negotiation about clinical placements and timetabled teaching As indicated in the previous section, within the wider cultural environment of the North West of Northern Ireland, there is significant difficulty with access to healthcare This is a priority for the region, whose population is currently experiencing health inequality by dint of socioeconomic deprivation and the difficulty recruiting and retaining doctors in the region Situating a medical school in an area improves the ability to recruit and retain staff, and locally recruited students (who mirror the demographics of the region) tend to stay and work locally and become GPs GMC data demonstrates that at present some 40% medical graduates from Belfast live and work within 10 miles of Belfast, and only 10% settle 50-100 miles away from their place of training (compared to 20% in England) The curriculum of all medical schools require students to achieve the GMC learning outcome to “recognise the potential impact of their attitudes, values, beliefs, perceptions and personal biases (which may be unconscious) on individuals and groups and identify Part personal strategies to address this” Thus medical students studying at the Magee campus will demonstrate these learning outcomes and practice accordingly as qualified doctors in the local area Political opinion None identified Racial group According to the British Medical Association (BMA), BME medical students throughout the UK experience racism at various points in their studies The BMA provides guidance on how students should deal with such incidents, but in addition the University will provide access to mentoring for all students Given that the student population is likely to demonstrate more ethnic diversity than the population they serve, students are vulnerable to racism from patients when on clinical placement, and this will be carefully monitored with appropriate support put in place GMC data demonstrate that medical students (and doctors) from BAME backgrounds perform less well in examinations, so the School will monitor progression data very robustly Given this is a risk for students at all medical schools in the UK, we not think that there is a specific need/ experience or priority associated with locating the School at Magee as opposed to any of the University’s other campuses We think that the same is likely to be true in the case of staff The curriculum of all medical schools require students to achieve the GMC learning outcome to “recognise the potential impact of their attitudes, values, beliefs, perceptions and personal biases (which may be unconscious) on individuals and groups and identify personal strategies to address this” Age An older student cohort is likely to have more dependants than a cohort comprised of mostly under 21-year olds Older individuals are also more likely to develop disability We anticipate the staff demographic to largely mirror the existing staff demographic and therefore there not to be additional needs or challenges for the Magee campus Marital status None identified Sexual None identified Part orientation Men and women generally As noted above, it is possible that with an older student cohort there might be increased carers requirements Disability Disabled staff and students may need reasonable adjustments, for students this is guided by GMC guidance contained in “Welcomed and Valued” addressing mental health and hidden disability as well as physical disability; but as noted above, medical schools have been relatively successful in recruiting and supporting students with a range of disabilities and effectively mirroring the local population The Magee campus delivers the highest student satisfaction of each of Ulster University’s four campuses and this extends to all aspects of student experience A close working relationship has been established with the Students’ Union Magee campus representatives to ensure appropriate support will be in place for students with disabilities The curriculum of all medical schools require students to achieve the GMC learning outcomes to adjust their approaches to communication to take account of people with a disability, assess the needs of, and support people with a learning disability, and , as above, to “recognise the potential impact of their attitudes, values, beliefs, perceptions and personal biases (which may be unconscious) on individuals and groups and identify personal strategies to address this” Because the GMC requires patient and public involvement from a wide range of sectors and groups, it is anticipated that the location of the School of Medicine at the Magee campus has the potential to enhance the agency of people with disabilities in the region Dependants Graduate entry students are more likely than school leavers to have dependants Part Consultation Consultation with relevant groups, organisations or individuals about the policy can provide useful information about issues/opportunities which are specifically related to them (i.e evidence to inform the policy) Please indicate whether you carried out (or intend to carry out) any consultation exercises prior to equality screening? The following organisations were consulted: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • All Health and Social Care Trusts All General Practitioner federations NI Executive and Civil Service Politicians and MLAs General Medical Council Royal College of General Practitioners Royal College of Surgeons Royal Colleges of Physicians of London, Edinburgh and Ireland Royal College of Psychiatrists Royal College of Radiologists Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists Partner medical school St George’s University of London Department for Education Health and Safety Executive in Republic of Ireland Queens University Belfast from Vice-Chancellor level through to medical school Dean and other course leaders University Council University Senate University Senior Leadership team Derry and Strabane District Council Londonderry Chamber of Commerce Associated Bank of Ireland Danske Bank Bank of Ireland British Medical Association Royal College of Nursing Part Screening Introduction The answers to the following screening questions will assist the University in making a decision whether or not there is a need to carry out an equality impact assessment on the policy The following information is provided to help you to identify and comment on the level of likely impact of the policy in questions 1-4: Select ‘major’ impact if: a) The policy is significant in terms of its strategic importance; b) Potential equality impacts are unknown, because, for example, there are insufficient data upon which to make an assessment or because they are complex, and it would be appropriate to conduct an equality impact assessment in order to better assess them; c) Potential equality and/or good relations impacts are likely to be adverse or are likely to be experienced disproportionately by groups of people including those who are marginalised or disadvantaged; d) Further assessment offers a valuable way to examine the evidence and develop recommendations in respect of a policy about which there are concerns amongst affected individuals and representative groups, for example in respect of multiple identities; e) The policy is likely to be challenged by way of judicial review; f) The policy is significant in terms of expenditure Select ‘minor’ impact if: a) The policy is not unlawfully discriminatory and any residual potential impacts on people are judged to be negligible; b) The policy, or certain proposals within it, are potentially unlawfully discriminatory, but this possibility can readily and easily be eliminated by making appropriate changes to the policy or by adopting appropriate mitigating measures; c) Any asymmetrical equality impacts caused by the policy are intentional because they are specifically designed to promote equality of opportunity for particular groups of disadvantaged people; d) By amending the policy there are better opportunities to better promote equality of opportunity and/or good relations; e) Differential impact observed and opportunities exist to better promote equality of opportunity and/or good relations Part Select ‘none’ if: a) The policy has no relevance to equality of opportunity or good relations b) The policy is purely technical in nature and will have no bearing in terms of its likely impact on equality of opportunity or good relations for people within the equality and good relations categories Taking into account the evidence presented in Part 1, please complete the screening questions (Questions 1-4) Part Screening questions What is the likely impact on equality of opportunity for those affected by this policy, for each of the Section 75 equality categories? (Please provide details) Section 75 category Details of policy impact Level of impact? (minor/major/none) Religious belief This policy is likely to have a positive impact on equality of opportunity for this category; given the significant benefit in reducing health inequalities in Derry-Londonderry and increasing access to healthcare and higher education Minor ( +) Political opinion This policy is likely to have a positive impact on equality of opportunity for this category; given the significant benefit in reducing health inequalities in Derry-Londonderry and increasing access to healthcare and higher education Minor (+) Racial group This policy is likely to have a positive impact on equality of opportunity for this category; given the significant benefit in reducing health inequalities in Derry-Londonderry and increasing access to healthcare and higher education Minor (+) Age This policy is likely to have a positive impact on equality of opportunity for this category; given the significant benefit in reducing health inequalities in Derry-Londonderry and increasing access to healthcare and higher education Minor (+) Marital status This policy is likely to have a positive impact on equality of opportunity for this category; given the significant benefit in reducing health inequalities in Derry-Londonderry and increasing access to healthcare and higher education Minor (+) Part This policy is likely to have a positive impact on equality of opportunity for this category; given the significant benefit in reducing health inequalities in Derry-Londonderry and increasing access to healthcare and higher education Minor (+) ?Men and women This policy is likely to have a positive impact generally on equality of opportunity for this category; given the significant benefit in reducing health inequalities in Derry-Londonderry and increasing access to healthcare and higher education (Minor +) Disability This policy is likely to have a positive impact on equality of opportunity for this category; given the significant benefit in reducing health inequalities in Derry-Londonderry and increasing access to healthcare and higher education Minor (+) Dependants This policy is likely to have a positive impact on equality of opportunity for this category; given the significant benefit in reducing health inequalities in Derry-Londonderry and increasing access to healthcare and higher education Minor (+) Sexual orientation Part 2 Are there opportunities to better promote equality of opportunity for people within the Section 75 equalities categories? Section 75 category If Yes, provide details If No, provide reasons Religious belief No: This policy sets out to mitigate the unequal access to healthcare and distribution of medical education in the island of Ireland Political opinion No: This policy sets out to mitigate the unequal access to healthcare and distribution of medical education in the island of Ireland Racial group No: This policy sets out to mitigate the unequal access to healthcare and distribution of medical education in the island of Ireland Age No: This policy sets out to mitigate the unequal access to healthcare and distribution of medical education in the island of Ireland Marital status This policy sets out to mitigate the unequal access to healthcare and distribution of medical education in the island of Ireland Sexual orientation This policy sets out to mitigate the unequal access to healthcare and distribution of medical education in the island of Ireland Part Men and women generally This policy sets out to mitigate the unequal access to healthcare and distribution of medical education in the island of Ireland Disability This policy sets out to mitigate the unequal access to healthcare and distribution of medical education in the island of Ireland Dependants This policy sets out to mitigate the unequal access to healthcare and distribution of medical education in the island of Ireland To what extent is the policy likely to impact on good relations between people of different religious belief, political opinion or racial group? (Please provide details) Good relations category Details of policy impact Level of impact (minor/major/none) none Religious belief The policy is unlikely to impact on good relations between people of different religious beliefs This policy sets out to mitigate the unequal access to healthcare and distribution of medical education in the island of Ireland none Political opinion The policy is unlikely to impact on good relations between people of different political opinion This policy sets out to mitigate the unequal access to healthcare and distribution of medical education in the island of Ireland none Racial group The policy likely to impact on good relations between people of different racial group This policy sets out to mitigate the unequal access to healthcare and distribution of medical education in the island of Ireland Part Are there opportunities to better promote good relations between people of different religious belief, political opinion or racial group? Good relations category If Yes, provide details If No, provide reasons Religious belief No: This policy sets out to mitigate the unequal access to healthcare and distribution of medical education in the island of Ireland Political opinion No: This policy sets out to mitigate the unequal access to healthcare and distribution of medical education in the island of Ireland Racial group No: This policy sets out to mitigate the unequal distribution of medical education in the island of Ireland Additional considerations Multiple identity Generally speaking, people can fall into more than one Section 75 category Taking this into consideration, please provide details of any potential impacts of the policy/decision on people with multiple identities? (For example; disabled minority ethnic people; disabled women; young Protestant men; and young lesbians, gay and bisexual people) Please include details of any data which you have used to determine/identify this impact Section 75 categories (please specify) Details of policy impact and details of data which describes the policy impact All This policy is likely to have a positive impact on equality for people with these identities, given the significant benefit in reducing inequality in access to healthcare and increasing access to higher education in the North West Part Disability Duties Does the policy provide an opportunity to encourage disabled people to participate in University life? If Yes, provide details If No, provide reasons Yes: as evidenced above, because medical degree programmes have been successful in recruiting disabled learners, and with the positive approach to disability in the recruitment materials, we anticipate increased opportunity to disabled people to participate in university life All disabled people will have to undergo appropriate assessment, with reasonable adjustments provided Students will have to satisfy the professional requirements of the programme and achieve learning outcomes to the satisfaction of the GMC Does the policy provide an opportunity to promote positive attitudes towards disabled people? If Yes, provide details Yes, the policy provides an opportunity to promote positive attitudes towards disabled people by encouraging disabled staff and students, and by the provision of specific learning opportunities regarding disability, we also anticipate working with local community groups and disabled people to support student learning If No, provide reasons Part Screening decision Based on the evidence considered and outlined in Part and the responses to the screening questions (Part 2), please indicate the screening decision for this policy: Note: The University should take particular care not to screen out policies that have a procurement aspect if there is potential to promote equality of opportunity through the procurement of services Screen in the policy (subject the policy to an Equality Impact Assesment) i.e the likely impact is ‘major’ in respect of one, or more of the equality of opportunity and/or good relations categories Screen out the policy without mitigation or an alternative policy proposed to be adopted (no Equality Impact Assessment) i.e the likely impact is ‘none’ in respect of all of the equality of opportunity and/or good relations categories X Screen out the policy and mitigate the impacts on equality by amending or changing the policy, or by developing an alternative policy or action (no Equality Impact Assessment) i.e the likely impact is ‘minor’ in respect of one, or more of the equality of opportunity and/or good relations categories Part If the decision is to subject the policy to an equality impact assessment (i.e ‘screen in’ the policy), please provide details of the reasons If the decision is not to conduct an equality impact assessment (i.e ‘screen out’ the policy), please provide details of the reasons Part If the decision is not to conduct an equality impact assessment (i.e ‘screen out’ the policy) and mitigate the impacts on equality by amending or changing the policy, or by developing an alternative policy or action, please provide reasons to support your decision, together with the proposed changes/amendments or alternative policy: The likely impact is ‘minor’ in respect of one, or more of the equality of opportunity and/or good relations categories However, this impact is positive The policy sets out to establish a new School of Medicine at Ulster University to deliver Undergraduate education to train doctors, to improve access to healthcare in the North West and in due course to improve the health of the population through education and research In line with University policy, this policy will be reviewed two years after it has been implemented, and if necessary amended Part Timetabling and prioritising If the policy has been ‘screened in’ for equality impact assessment, then please answer the following questions to determine its priority for timetabling the equality impact assessment On a scale of 1-3, with being the lowest priority and being the highest, assess the policy in terms of its priority for equality impact assessment Priority criterion Rating (1-3) Effect on equality of opportunity and good relations Social need Effect on people’s daily lives Relevance to the University’s functions Note: The Total Rating Score will be used to prioritise the policy in rank order with other policies screened in for equality impact assessment This list of priorities will assist the University in timetabling Details of the University’s Equality Impact Assessment Timetable will be included in its quarterly Screening Reports Is the policy affected by timetables established by other relevant public authorities? Yes No If yes, please provide details: _ _ Part Approval and authorisation Position/Job Title Screened by: Executive Dean of Faculty of Life and Health Sciences Date 28 October 2020 Approved by: Director of People and Culture November 2020 Note: Following approval by the Senior Leadership Team/Senate, the policy owner must inform the University Secretary that the policy has been approved Once the Council of the University has been informed of the policy (either directly of through an appropriate Committee), the policy owner can then promulgate the policy and develop appropriate training or awareness raising material in relation to the policy A copy of the screening pro-forma will be made available on the University’s website and be made available on request Review Note: Policies must be reviewed at least every two years, but sooner if changes in legislation or other variables require review This policy is due for review (in terms of its impact on equality of opportunity and good relations) by the policy owner on: November 2022