Access to health and social care services for the Latin American community in Haringey

Healthwatch Haringey wanted to understand more about the barriers that Latin Americans in Haringey face to accessing health and social care services.  They spoke to 55 people.

Key findings

The Latin American community in Haringey is substantial 

Latin Americans in Haringey face barriers to accessing health and social care services, including long waiting times for treatment, access to interpretation, problems booking digital appointments and GP registration.  Some of these problems are very different to their experiences in other countries.

Latin Americans are more likely to experience musculoskeletal problems, and dengue and flu like symptoms.  Many were not aware of Chagas disease which only affects people from Central and South America.

Most participants were put off going to the doctor about a health problem because of language. This seemed to affect whether Latin Americans feel comfortable to be able to see their doctor without fear of being judged. Other concerns included difficulties in getting an appointment, being taken seriously by your doctor and being listened to by your doctor. In these responses, some indicated that there was ‘No need to’ due to a belief that they would only need to see the doctor when they were in physical pain. This shows that Latin Americans need holistic support to get mental health and physical support.