As NHS England's first anti-racism framework, the Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework (PCREF) aims to help NHS mental health trusts and service providers to improve services for people from diverse ethnic, racial and cultural backgrounds.

The PCREF focuses on equity, anti-racism, and co production to build trust and make sure our patients, service users and carers remain at the heart of everything we do.

It outlines the rules and regulations for promoting mental health equality and will help Mersey Care and other providers meet our obligations as well as support for Care Quality Commission inspections.

  • Recognising and challenging racial inequalities within services
  • Opportunities for open and honest conversations about race and health inequalities to create meaningful change
  • Listening and understanding what works best for our black and multi ethnic minority communities
  • Working together towards making sure our services see positive improvements to meet the needs of our communities
  • Adapting our services to meet the needs of the people and communities we serve.

The Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework is about working in partnership with:

  • Our black and other minority ethnic communities
  • Patients, service users, carers and their families
  • Voluntary organisations and other public service providers.

Working in partnership we can make fundamental improvements within our Trust.

This is not just another initiative; it’s all about changing the way NHS mental health services work and making sure minority ethnic communities are heard and have influence over how services are designed, delivered, and improved.

We want to encourage our patients, service users, carers, families, community and voluntary organisations, governors, staff and members of the public to get involved.

Everyone has a role to play in making PCREF work. We want to hear about your lived experience, past and present, to create better outcomes.

If you work in mental health services, PCREF is about adapting the way you work, challenging biases, and making sure care is equitable for all

Mental Health Care Division

Secure Care Division

Abdi Ahmed, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Lead

Patient and Public Engagement

Trust Wide Support Services

  • Joe O’Grady Strategic Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Lead Joe.O'grady@merseycare.nhs.uk 

Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework (PCREF)

1. WHAT IS PCREF?

  • First national anti‑racism and accountability framework for mental health services.
  • Mandatory for all NHS mental health trusts and providers.
  • Co‑produced with patients, carers and racialised communities to tackle unfair treatment.
  • Full Trust wide implementation required by summer 2025.

2. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

  • Racialised communities experience higher detention rates and poorer outcomes.
  • PCREF helps us identify gaps, act on data and co‑design safer care.
  • Builds trust, confidence and culturally responsive services.

3. HOW DOES IT WORK?

 

PCREF has three interconnected parts:

  1. Leadership & Governance – Board‑level commitment, clear accountability and published plans.
  2. Organisational Competencies – Skills, training and policies every service needs to be actively anti‑racist.
  3. Patient & Carer Feedback – Real‑time ways to hear, act on and share feedback from racialised communities.

4. HOW WILL THE CQC CHECK PROGRESS?

  • PCREF is now a core item in CQC inspections of mental health services.
  • Interim phase (2024‑25): CQC checks awareness, governance structures and early action plans – no scoring yet.
  • From 2025: Evidence of improved access, experience and outcomes will influence well‑led and quality ratings.

Assessment framework:

https://www.cqc.org.uk/guidance-regulation/providers/assessment/assessment-framework

Source: NHS England & CQC PCREF guidance (2025)

5. WHAT IS EXPECTED OF WARD STAFF?

  • Know the plan – read NHS/Trust PCREF summary and updates. Shared understanding keeps us on track.
  • Collect data accurately – always record ethnicity and language preferences. Good data shows where gaps are.
  • Use culturally sensitive care – adapt communication, foods, faith practices. Respect builds engagement and safety.
  • Encourage feedback – remind patients and carers about feedback tools, listen actively. Their voice drives improvement.
  • Challenge racism – speak up, use reporting routes, support colleagues. Help creates a zero‑tolerance culture.
  • Complete training – attend mandatory training sessions. Skills underpin change.

 

Further Reading: https://www.england.nhs.uk/mental-health/advancing-mental-health-equalities/pcref/