Across the Thames Valley ICB, we are committed to promoting Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in everything we do. We are proud to be part of a vibrant, diverse community, and we actively foster an environment where everyone feels valued, respected and feel a sense of belonging.
We know when people feel a true sense of belonging, they can achieve their full potential, and that’s when we deliver our very best for our communities. Diversity is our strength, and inclusion is at the heart of how we work, collaborate, and lead.
Working in partnership across the Thames Valley, we are committed to improving equality of access, experience, and outcomes for all. By listening, learning, and taking action to address health inequalities, we ensure that every individual receives the high-quality care and support they deserve.
We see EDI not as an add-on, but fundamental to our mission and objectives as a strategic commissioner. Together, we are building a more inclusive, equitable and high-performing health and care system for everyone across the Thames Valley.
• Inclusive by Design
We are committed to creating welcoming, inclusive environments for our population, partners and workforce.
• Celebrating Diversity
We champion the richness of our diversity, recognising that different perspectives make us stronger, more innovative and more effective.
• Empowering People
We enable people to thrive—supporting every individual to reach their full potential and recognising that every contribution matters.
• Equal Access for All
We acknowledge inequalities exist and We are relentless in our drive to ensure fair and equitable access to healthcare services across the Thames Valley.
• Fairness in Action
We promote fairness, respect and dignity in everything we do, challenging discrimination and embedding equity into our decisions and behaviours.
• Tackling Health Inequalities
We take decisive action to reduce health inequalities, working in partnership to improve outcomes for those who need it most.
These interim EDI priorities provide assurance that, during organisational transition and the forming of the new Thames Valley ICB we are meeting our statutory duties, setting clear expectations for building inclusion into design and reducing risk through fair and consistent people practices.
The Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Annual Report for 2025-2026 meets our Public Sector Equality Duty to report on equality information within the Integrated Care Board and, where available, the Integrated Care System.
To read specific information from our reports, please click the document titles below:
Annual Report Part A: Public Sector Equality Duty 2025 (opens a new document)
Annual Report Part C: Community and Workforce Reports 2025 (opens a new document)
Legislation underpinning our work
NHS Thames Valley ICB's commitment to reducing workplace and community health inequalities, advancing patient engagement and involving and consulting with the public is driven by the principles of the:
Health and Social Care Act 2012
We use Equality and Health Inequalities Analyses (EHIAs) to help us to meet our legal requirements of the Public Sector Equality Duty which is set out in the Equality Act 2010. There are three strands to the Public Sector Equality Duty. These are to:
eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment, victimisation and other conduct prohibited by the Equality Act
advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not
foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not
Training & Our Equality Advocates
We believe that to embed equality and diversity in NHS Thames Valley, we need to start with good education across the organisation. We provide access to training for all new staff members including a corporate induction programme.
We also offer a bespoke in-house ‘Equality Advocates Training’ programme. This has been developed to upskill staff to understand:
The overarching legal structures of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion work, such as the Equality Act 2010 and Human Rights Act 1998
How attitudes, values and beliefs influence behaviour, including emotional intelligence, stress tolerance, language used and microaggressions
Bias, discrimination and privilege in themselves and others
How to be an active bystander/ally and holding courageous conversations
Healing after an incident
Mirror Board
An update will follow for the Mirror Board 2026.
Public involvement
We understand that there are times where a person's health outcomes will differ on the grounds of certain characteristics. In an attempt to address this, we work closely with community groups that represent particular characteristics. This close working allows us to gather patient and public experience, which in turn informs our commissioning. This is designed to complement our public engagement activity.
For more information on public engagement activities, visit the Get Involved page.