Letter: Engaging matters

I write in response to your coverage of our recent Equality, Diversity and Inclusion report.

The report has generated a lot of important information which will help us better understand the professions we regulate and any possible inequalities. The finding that men and BME registrants are more likely to be subject to a fitness to practise (FTP) complaint has generated particular interest and it is important that we work to better understand the reasons behind this and how we should respond.

Our monitoring also allows us to ensure fairness in other areas of our work, such as Council appointments, and education.

To ensure that our data is as accurate as possible, I strongly encourage all registrants to provide this data as part of their renewal. In his letter (March 1) Mr Gill is correct that it is not compulsory and we have amended some of our communications to make this clearer. However, doing this at renewal time is the most efficient point at which to collect the data, making it easier for registrants.