BBK Manifesto: Eradicate health inequality for those from ethnic minority communities
The NHS must prioritise raising awareness of conditions that specifically impact ethnic minorities, BBK says after discovering huge disparities in care experiences.
Our Manifesto for Injured People urges more training for doctors and health professionals and information campaigns aimed directly at affected population groups.
One of our clients was a Black woman with an African accent who suffered with cervical disc prolapse for over six years before it was diagnosed. She was unable to walk, had significant sensory problems and was suffering from neuropathic pain in all four limbs by the time she was eventually diagnosed.
Despite clearly communicating her incredibly serious symptoms numerous times she was repeatedly ‘fobbed off’ by medical staff – her GP continually told her all she needed to do was to lose weight and carry out some physio exercises. Our client believes her health concerns were ignored due to racial bias.
After hearing her story we conducted further research into whether UK healthcare standards differ depending on your ethnic background.
We looked at whether UK healthcare standards differ depending on your ethnic background. We found people from some ethnic groups reported negative healthcare experiences at a higher rate than the national average.
The most recent figures suggest about 72% of British people have reported a ‘good’ experience with their GP, however, for those patients specifically from a Bangladeshi (57%), Pakistani (59%), or Gypsy/Traveller (60%) background, this figure falls substantially lower.
A number of conditions and diseases are much more prevalent in people from certain backgrounds. For example, around one in four Black men are diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime, roughly double the UK average rate of one in eight men. Similarly, around 8% of Black people carry the Sickle Cell gene, a much higher rate than the national average.
Despite these statistics, in the UK, across all ethnic groups, just one in 10 people (10%) have been made aware of such information. This means nine out of 10 people in the UK have not been informed of their increased risk of developing some conditions.
The next government must prioritise tackling health inequality for those from ethnic minorities.
This blog is part of our #ChampioningChange Campaign, specifically, Bolt Burdon Kemp LLP’s 2024 Manifesto for Injured People. In this campaign we call for politicians and candidates to prioritise injured people as they go into the 2024 General Election. This work is informed by our clients’ experiences and our partnerships with charities which support our clients and others like them. If you would like to read more about our full manifesto you can do so here.
