New NES strategy will contribute to a more equitable health and care system
- Area of Work: Policy and Research
- Type: News Item
- Published: 1st May 2025

NHS Education for Scotland (NES) has published its new Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Strategy 2025-2029 today.
NHS Education for Scotland (NES) has published its new Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Strategy 2025-2029 today.
NES’s mission is to be a collaborative, innovative and inclusive learning organisation providing high quality education, training, workforce development, workforce data and technology for Scotland’s health and social care workforce.
The strategy is fundamental to NES’s mission. It incorporates actions on anti-racism, set out in their Anti-racism Plan for 2025-2026 which will be published later this week.
The EDI strategy and plan set out how NES’s work on equality, diversity and inclusion will contribute to a more equitable health and care system and to reducing population inequalities.
Professor Karen Reid, Chief Executive of NES said:
“Inequalities in society impact people’s chances for a better life. Protecting and upholding people’s rights will enable us to address inequalities and support our role as a high-performing organisation.
“NES is committed to progressing equality, contributing to reducing health inequalities and creating an inclusive workplace for our people and our learners.”
NES has developed a plan to support the strategy, which includes the longer-term Equality Outcomes as part of the Public Sector Equality Duty.
The plan covers five themes:
- Leadership and accountability
- Culture
- Equity of opportunity
- Addressing concerns
- Data
The strategy was developed with staff, including staff networks, the Board and NES partners. The team consulted on the proposed Equality Outcomes with partners, staff and the public via their website to find out if we had identified the most important issues for NES to contribute to progressing equality, diversity and inclusion. Progress will be reported bi-annually to the NES Board and to staff.
Read the Equality Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2025-2029 here.
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