To add some introductory text

• WDES

The NHS Workforce Disability Equality Standard (WDES) came into force on 1 April 2019 and is a set of specific measures (metrics) that will enable NHS organisations to compare the experiences of disabled and non-disabled staff. This information will then be used by organisations to develop a local action plan, and enable them to demonstrate progress against the indicators of disability equality.

The WDES is important, because research shows that a motivated, included and valued workforce helps to deliver high quality patient care, increased patient satisfaction and improved patient safety.

The implementation of the WDES will enable NHS trusts and foundation trusts to better understand the experiences of their disabled staff.  It will support positive change for existing employees, and enable a more inclusive environment for disabled people working in the NHS. Like the Workforce Race Equality Standard on which the WDES is in part modelled, it will also identify good practice and compare performance regionally and by type of trust.

The first WDES annual report was published in April 2020 by NHS England and NHS Improvement and provides the first national review of the NHS workforce that relates to the workplace representation and career experiences of disabled staff.

At a national level, the evidence clearly highlights disparities between the experiences of Disabled and non-disabled staff across the ten metrics. The analysis therefore demonstrates the need for trusts to take robust action, with monitoring and evaluation, to ensure that progress takes place and to embed the WDES into ongoing work programmes that support positive change.

To add text re what WDES is and also reports from each organisation and the System report/data and action plan =- will be available end of November