Equality of care: substance users, the emergency care perspective

As registered healthcare professionals, it is important that paramedics in the United Kingdom (UK) demonstrate equality in the care and treatment that they offer to all those who call upon their services. The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) clearly state that no registrant should allow their views about a service user's sex, age, colour, race, disability, sexuality, social or economic status, lifestyle, culture, religion or beliefs affect the way in which they deal with them (or the professional advice that they offer). They must treat all service users with respect and dignity (HCPC, 2008).

This basic principle forms part of the National Health Service (NHS) attempts to eliminate discrimination and reduce inequalities in care—this principle is partly dictated by the Equality Act 2010 (c.15). If anything the NHS Constitution goes further than this stating that employees should:

‘…pay particular attention to groups or sections of society where improvements in health and life expectancy are not keeping pace with the rest of the population…’