The National Health Service has launched its second annual equality award scheme.
The scheme is intended to reward and recognise health care services that work towards greater equality. It is supposed to encourage NHS organisations to work for the benefit of patients, rather than of the NHS system.
Announcing the award scheme on September 24, the Minister of State for Health (Mr John Denham) said: "Entering your work for the NHS equality awards is one of the best ways of spreading equality initiatives within the NHS so that they can be adopted or adapted across boundaries and improve the service nation-wide."
This year, the judges will be particularly looking for entries which help improve quality through joint working with health improvement programmes, health action zones, clinical governance or national service frameworks.
The closing date for application is November 10. Details are available by telephone on 0541 555 455.
Examples of last year's award winners include an alcohol and drug abuse advisory service for Muslims in Rotherham and a bereavement service for ethnic minorities in Birmingham.