Non-discrimination notice

1. Our commitment

beale horton Health exists to serve workers and families whose health has historically gone unmeasured and unattended. Treating people unequally would defeat the purpose of the organisation.

We provide care to everyone we serve on equal terms. We do not deny, delay or provide lesser care to anyone on any of the grounds set out below, and we expect the same of everyone working with us.

This commitment reflects our obligations under the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana, 1992, which guarantees equality before the law and freedom from discrimination, and the Persons with Disability Act, 2006 (Act 715). It is also consistent with the patient rights recognised by the Ghana Health Service.

2. What we do not discriminate on

We do not discriminate against any patient, family member, employee, applicant or partner on the basis of:

• gender, sex, marital status, pregnancy or family responsibility;
• race, colour, ethnic or national origin, or tribe;
• religion, creed, or political opinion;
• social or economic status, occupation, or ability to pay;
• disability, including physical, sensory, intellectual and mental disability;
• health status, including HIV status, tuberculosis, mental illness and any exposure-related condition;
• age;
• language;
• place of residence, or whether a person lives in a rural or urban community;
• confirm any further grounds to list — e.g. sexual orientation or gender identity — and how these are worded for a Ghanaian context.

3. What this means in practice

• Care is offered on the basis of clinical need, not on who a person is or what they can pay.
• Appointments, screening and follow-up are scheduled on the same terms for everyone in a program.
• Being enrolled through an employer, a school or a community partner does not change the standard of care a person receives.
• Nobody is turned away, or treated differently, for making a complaint.
• Our employment and recruitment decisions are made on merit.

4. Disability and accessibility

We take reasonable steps so that people with disabilities can use our services on equal terms. That includes physical access to our care locations, assistance with forms and instructions, and allowing a companion or carer to accompany a patient where they wish.

The specific accessibility provisions at each location, and the auxiliary aids and support we can arrange, are accessibility provision per care location, and what aids or support can be arranged on request. If you need an adjustment in order to attend or take part, tell us in advance and we will try to arrange it.

5. Language and communication

Nobody should receive worse care because of the language they speak. Our Community Care Guides work in the communities they serve, and we aim to explain care in a language a patient understands.

The languages in which we can currently offer consultation, written materials and interpretation are list the languages supported at each location, and how interpretation is arranged. Interpretation is provided at no cost to the patient where we arrange it.

6. How to raise a concern

If you believe you or someone else has been discriminated against, please tell us. You can raise a concern yourself, or someone can do it on your behalf with your permission.

• Speak to any member of staff, or ask for the person in charge at the location.
• Speak to your Community Care Guide.
• Email info@bealehorton.com.
• Write to us at postal address for complaints.

You may complain anonymously, though it may limit how far we can investigate. We will acknowledge your complaint within acknowledgement and resolution timeframes, and the name or title of the person responsible and tell you the outcome. Raising a concern will never affect the care you receive.

7. Taking a complaint further

If you are not satisfied with how we have handled your complaint, you can take it to an independent body. In Ghana these include:

• the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), which investigates complaints of discrimination and human rights violations;
• the Health Facilities Regulatory Agency (HeFRA), which regulates health facilities;
• the relevant professional regulator for a clinician's conduct, and the Ghana Health Service where a public facility is involved.

Current contact details for each of these bodies are verify and list current contact details for CHRAJ, HeFRA and any other named body. We will give you these details on request and will not obstruct a complaint.

8. Our staff and partners

Every member of our staff, and every clinician and partner working with us, is required to follow this notice. Discriminatory conduct is a disciplinary matter. Partner organisations in our network are expected to uphold the same standard as a condition of participation.

9. Contact