Sussex NHS trust joins scheme to tackle racism

An NHS trust has announced its selection for a national pilot to tackle racism in mental health services.

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, which specialises in mental health and learning disabilities, said the scheme would strengthen support for "racially marginalised" carers.

Run by Carers Trust, the pilot will explore how NHS England's Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework (PCREF) initiative can be integrated into its own Triangle of Care quality improvement scheme, it said.

Those taking part will test and refine draft guidance aimed at improving how unpaid carers from racially marginalised communities are identified, involved and supported.

Sussex Partnership said its inclusion in the pilot showed it was committed to "carer-friendly communities".

Its chief medical officer, Dr Oliver Dale, said: "Carers are vital partners in care and this opportunity will help us strengthen how we recognise, involve and support carers from our diverse local communities."

Anastasia Blaize, chair of the PCREF and Triangle of Care task and finish group, which helped produce the draft guidance, said carers, friends and family from "Black, Asian and typically overlooked communities" could find trusting mental health services difficult for "a variety of reasons".

"We're aiming to help health professionals understand the needs of families and carers, and deliver the support and involvement these communities need," she added.

Mary Patel, from Carers Trust, said carers from racially marginalised communities "often face additional barriers".

"We are grateful to Sussex Partnership for joining this important pilot and helping us test how well the draft guidance reflects carers' needs and experiences," she said.