From Monday 21 September, an Inequalities Flag will begin appearing in patients’ electronic patient records (EPR) across CHFT.

The flag is designed to help colleagues identify patients who may be at the greatest risk of experiencing health inequalities, providing an additional prompt to consider whether there are barriers that could impact a person's access to healthcare, experience of services or health outcomes.

The Inequalities Flag is already being used in Maternity, where colleagues have highlighted how it supports more personalised conversations and care planning. As one maternity colleague shared in a recent CHFT News feature, the flag acts as a prompt to think more carefully about each patient's individual circumstances and how care can be tailored to meet their needs.

The flag will appear within a patient's clinical record and highlights those identified as being at greater risk of health inequalities. It does not replace clinical judgement, but provides additional information that can help colleagues take a more personalised and proportionate approach to care.

When you see the Inequalities Flag on a patient's record, it should prompt you to consider whether that person may face additional barriers to accessing healthcare or achieving the best possible outcomes.

These barriers may not always be immediately visible, but could affect someone's ability to attend appointments, understand information, access support or engage with services.

The flag encourages colleagues to take a moment to consider whether any reasonable adjustments, additional support or tailored communication may help meet the patient's individual needs.

The introduction of the Inequalities Flag is another step in helping us provide care that is equitable, personalised and responsive to individual circumstances.

By helping colleagues identify patients who may need extra support, the flag can support more informed decision-making and contribute to improving health outcomes for some of our most vulnerable patients.

From 21 September, colleagues are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the new flag and consider how it can support compassionate, personalised care every time it appears within a patient's record.

Claudia de'Vries, Project Manager for Health Inequalities, said: “Since piloting the flag with maternity services, it has encouraged greater professional curiosity. When colleagues see the flag, they are prompted to ask more questions, look deeper into the patient’s record and consider whether they may need additional support. This helps us identify needs that might otherwise be missed and ensures we can provide the right care and support for each patient.”

If colleagues have any questions about the new flag, or about health equity in general, they should visit the Health Equity section of the intranet or contact healthequity@cht.nhs.uk.