People's profile: Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities

Healthwatch Lincolnshire was commissioned by the CQC to undertake engagement with the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities.  They interviewed 55 people.

Access to GP services: no fixed address is a common barrier. 

Negative attitudes and judgement from people in health and care, and a lack of understanding of the community, its needs and culture all influence whether respondents would seek help. 

Hesitance to engage with projects/surveys/feedback is due to a mistrust of authority and institutions due to a) above, b) not feeling as though their opinions are valued, and c) not believing it will make a positive change for their community. This hesitance is rising in Lincolnshire and includes even those facilitated by, or in partnership with, organisations that work with figureheads of their community. 

Access to a dentist and a GP were particularly poor. 

• 42% (19) never had access to a dentist. 
• 49% (25) sometimes had access to a GP. 

The most common barrier appeared to be difficulties registering with a GP mainly due to not having a fixed address but also the attitudes and judgment from some staff. 

Access to online services was mixed. Some respondents outright did not want to use the internet at all to access health services. internet connection, worries about the safety of personal information, and poor computer literacy.

48% (25) felt there had been a time they couldn’t get the help they needed because of who they are or where they are from. o As a result of not being able to register, one respondent shared that they are forced to go to A&E for illnesses such as colds. Another said they “self-medicate”. Not being able to get help often meant respondents felt like a burden to others which put them off from seeking help in the future.

The majority of people, 72% (34), felt they were/had been treated differently when they told a GP or nurse their background. Some disclosed that they never mention their background for this reason. Being treated differently included being spoken to in a patronising way and having their lifestyle and culture misunderstood and stereotyped.

Worries about being judged, discriminated against, or not understood kindly were the biggest barriers that prevent respondents from feeling comfortable asking for help. Not being able to understand what a GP or nurse tells them had a range of consequences for respondents. These include missing out on information about their care, missing appointments, and taking the wrong amount of medication.

Good practice relating to treating the community with respect and without judgement was down to individual attitudes and how much they knew about/interacted with the community rather than systems or processes. 

Mental health is a taboo subject within the community. 

Bowel cancer screening attendance amongst male respondents was poor. 

Only 8% (4) of respondents had heard of the CQC. When asked if they would share their thoughts about healthcare with CQC, responses were mixed.