Hospitals are a vital part of the health care system. Some hospitals have developed equity plans and made strong commitments to meeting the needs of health disadvantaged populations, and ensuring equitable access and quality in their services and within their organizations; others less so. This is a short briefing note on pressures hospitals will be facing to incorporate equity within quality improvement and other priorities, and some tools and mechanisms hospitals can adapt to effectively build equity in. This note is part of a broader series of reports and resources on embedding equity within a high quality and innovative health system.