Race Equality Commission Submission

Healthwatch Sheffield submitted evidence to Sheffield’s Race Equality Commission to highlight inequalities experienced by Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities when accessing health and social care services. The submission drew on a wide range of evidence, including community engagement, Covid-19 surveys, feedback from voluntary organisations, experiences shared through Healthwatch services and work carried out with local communities. The report emphasised that health inequalities in Sheffield are significant and that action is needed to ensure people from minority ethnic communities are heard, involved in decision-making and able to access services equitably.

A major theme was the impact of language and communication barriers. Many people described difficulties booking appointments, understanding medical information and navigating health services when English was not their first language. Concerns were raised about access to interpreting services, including delays, poor-quality interpretation, wrong dialects being provided and worries about confidentiality. Participants also highlighted challenges understanding how the NHS works, confusion about healthcare entitlements and charging arrangements, and a lack of accessible information for refugees, asylum seekers and people new to the UK. Healthwatch recommended greater involvement of service users in commissioning and monitoring interpreting services, improved recording of communication needs and the use of clear, jargon-free information. 

The submission also highlighted broader social and structural inequalities affecting health and wellbeing. Participants described barriers relating to employment, education, recognition of overseas qualifications, poverty, digital exclusion and difficulties learning English. Concerns were raised about discrimination, racism and lack of cultural sensitivity within healthcare settings. Some individuals reported feeling that their concerns were not believed or taken seriously, while others described services that failed to recognise the impact of culture, faith, migration experiences and life circumstances on health outcomes. Participants also highlighted wider concerns about transport, access to outdoor spaces and the impact of deprivation on health. 

Healthwatch concluded that addressing inequalities requires more than consultation exercises and called for meaningful engagement, stronger accountability and greater diversity in leadership and decision-making. Recommendations included improving cultural competency training, strengthening partnerships with trusted community organisations, increasing representation of minority ethnic communities within leadership structures, improving responses to concerns raised by communities and developing a coordinated approach to tackling health inequalities across Sheffield. The report stressed that communities need not only opportunities to speak, but confidence that their experiences will be listened to and acted upon.