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NEW SCHEME: Attendees attend the launch outside the House of Lords

SOUTH AFRICAN archbishop Desmond Tutu’s beliefs could help shape a future National Health Service thanks to a British organisation that bears his name.

The Tutu Foundation UK has teamed up with the NHS Institute, to develop a new programme that aims to tackle inequality in Britain’s health service.

The programme is based on helping people working in the NHS to develop new skills to help prevent conflict. It will also help NHS Trusts help tackle the causes of community tension and provide staff with the skills to help resolve disputes.

The work of the Tutu Foundation, which has Archbishop Tutu and his wife Leah as patrons, is built on the principle of 'Ubuntu', a traditional Southern African ethical philosophy.

Yvonne Coghill OBE, director of the NHS’s Breaking Through Programme, said:

"In working closely with an organisation like the Tutu Foundation, we will be attempting to shift the thinking and mindset of senior leaders about the importance of the work of BME staff in the NHS."

The Tutu Foundation UK aims to build peace in fractured communities across England using a model inspired by Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu's peace and reconciliation work all over the world. The Tutu Foundation UK helps people in communities at risk of conflict, come together to develop a common point of view of what is wrong and how to make it better.

The programme, which was recently launched at The House of Lords by the General, Lord Walker of Aldringham, a former chief of the Ministry of Defence Staff, is planned to be widely used in the NHS.

Alexandra Ankrah, head of the Tutu Foundation UK said:

"Supporting improved community health and wellbeing matters to us all at the Tutu Foundation UK, as well our Patron. We know that a fair and just society is a cornerstone for improving health outcomes for all."

Other partners in the project include the Institute of Training and Occupational Learning [ITOL], who have gained an international reputation for their accredited coaching courses. ITOL have helped the Tutu Foundation develop an on-line peer community coaching course, which supports the Foundation's community work. The Foundation is also working together with Regent's College, London who have developed a Mediation Course, which reflects the Ubuntu driven approach of the Tutu Foundation.

The work of the Tutu Foundation is built on the principle of 'Ubuntu', a traditional Southern African philosophy that puts the emphasis on our common humanity; our connectedness and interdependence as fellow human beings.