Our commitment
MHW Clinic is committed to creating a workplace and patient environment in which everyone is treated with dignity, respect, and fairness. We value the differences in our staff and our patients, and we recognise that genuinely inclusive care leads to better clinical outcomes, stronger patient trust, and a healthier working culture.
This policy applies to all of our staff, contractors, volunteers, patients, visitors, and suppliers.
Legal framework
This policy is informed by, and complies with:
- Equality Act 2010 — the principal UK legislation protecting against discrimination on the basis of nine protected characteristics
- Human Rights Act 1998
- Care Quality Commission Fundamental Standards (Regulation 10: Dignity and Respect)
- General Medical Council Good Medical Practice guidance on treating patients fairly and without discrimination
- Health and Care Professions Council standards of conduct, performance and ethics
- NHS Equality Delivery System principles (where applicable to private care collaboration)
Protected characteristics
We will not discriminate against any person on any of the nine protected characteristics defined by the Equality Act 2010:
- Age
- Disability
- Gender reassignment
- Marriage and civil partnership
- Pregnancy and maternity
- Race (including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin)
- Religion or belief
- Sex
- Sexual orientation
We also will not tolerate discrimination on the basis of other characteristics that may not be statutorily protected but are clinically and ethically important, including socio-economic status, immigration status, language spoken at home, body weight, and physical appearance.
Our commitment to patients
Every patient who attends MHW Clinic is entitled to:
- Be treated with respect, dignity, kindness, and without judgment
- Receive care of the same standard regardless of their background, characteristics, or circumstances
- Have their privacy and confidentiality protected
- Communicate in a language they understand, with professional interpretation available on request
- Request a chaperone at any examination, free of charge (see our Chaperone Policy)
- Request a clinician of a specific gender for intimate examinations, where reasonably possible
- Have reasonable adjustments made for any disability or accessibility need
- Refuse any aspect of treatment without affecting our continued duty of care
- Receive the same quality of care whether they are paying privately, insured, or covered by employer schemes
Our commitment to staff
We will:
- Recruit, promote, train, and reward staff solely on the basis of relevant skills, qualifications, experience, and conduct
- Provide equal pay for equal work, monitored against the requirements of the Equality Act 2010
- Make reasonable adjustments for staff with disabilities, including physical workspace adaptation, working pattern flexibility, and assistive technology
- Provide all clinical and non-clinical staff with annual equality, diversity, and inclusion training
- Investigate any allegation of discrimination, harassment, bullying, or victimisation promptly and fairly
- Support staff in maintaining a healthy work-life balance, including reasonable accommodation for caring responsibilities, religious observance, and health needs
- Maintain a zero-tolerance approach to harassment, including sexual harassment, racial harassment, and bullying
Language and cultural responsiveness
We recognise that East London is one of the most linguistically and culturally diverse areas in the UK. Our team speaks Turkish, Bengali, Albanian, Somali, Hindi, Bulgarian, and Italian in addition to English. Our website is available in 14 languages.
For patients whose preferred language is not represented on our team, we offer access to professional interpretation services. We do not encourage the use of family members — especially children — as informal interpreters, in line with NHS best practice.
We respect religious and cultural preferences in clinical care, including dietary requirements during fasting periods, modesty requirements, and the involvement of family or community members where the patient wishes.
Accessibility and reasonable adjustments
MHW Clinic premises are step-free at the entrance and have ground-floor consulting rooms. We provide a hearing loop, large-print documents on request, and can arrange British Sign Language interpretation with notice. Our website meets WCAG 2.1 Level AA accessibility standards (see our Accessibility Statement for full detail).
Patients with specific accessibility needs can contact us in advance and we will work with them to identify reasonable adjustments — whether physical, communication-related, or to do with appointment scheduling.
Reporting discrimination or harassment
Any patient, staff member, or visitor who experiences or witnesses discrimination, harassment, or unfair treatment is encouraged to report it. Routes:
- Speak to any staff member: they will support you in raising the concern with management
- Speak to the Clinical Director: Dr Haydar Bolat, who has named responsibility for equality and diversity
- Email: info@mhwclinic.co.uk
- Formal complaint: via our Complaints Policy
- External escalation: The Equality and Human Rights Commission (for advice) or the relevant professional regulator (GMC, HCPC) for concerns about a specific clinician
Monitoring and review
We monitor:
- Demographic data of our patient population (where patients voluntarily share it), to identify access disparities
- Workforce diversity statistics at staff intake
- Equal pay reporting
- Complaints with equality-related themes
- Patient experience survey responses
Findings are reviewed annually as part of our governance cycle and inform service improvements.
Contact for equality matters
For any question about this policy or to raise an equality concern:
- Clinical Director: Dr Haydar Bolat
- Email: info@mhwclinic.co.uk
- Phone: 020 7916 0029
- Address: MHW Clinic, 97-99 Whitechapel Road, London E1 1DT
