Equality considerations

Advice

NICE is committed to promoting equality, eliminating unlawful discrimination and fostering good relations between people with particular protected characteristics and others. In producing guidance and advice, NICE aims to comply fully with all legal obligations to: promote race and disability equality and equality of opportunity between men and women, eliminate unlawful discrimination on grounds of race, disability, age, sex, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity (including women post-delivery), sexual orientation, and religion or belief (these are protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010).

There are no equality issues associated with using this test but all people diagnosed with breast cancer would be recognised as disabled under the 2010 Equality Act. Women of African family origin are more likely to develop breast cancer at an earlier age and to have a more aggressive form of the disease compared with other women.