Engagement about the Health and Social Care Needs and Experiences of Black, Asian and Minority Communities on behalf of Healthwatch Worcestershire

This report summarises Healthwatch Worcestershire’s second year of engagement with Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic  communities, delivered by Age UK Herefordshire and Worcestershire. The aim was to better understand the health and social care experiences of minority ethnic communities, increase awareness of Healthwatch, and strengthen community involvement in the design and delivery of local services. 

During 2015–16, Age UK engaged with around 900 individuals and 29 organisations across Worcestershire. A total of 519 pieces of feedback were collected, including 258 reports of individual experiences of health and social care services. Engagement covered several topics, including primary care access, child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), services for parents and carers of children under five, domiciliary care, and communication methods. 

A major finding was that language and communication barriers remained one of the most significant challenges affecting minority ethnic communities. Many participants reported difficulties understanding information, accessing services, and communicating with healthcare professionals. Concerns were raised about the availability, quality, and timeliness of interpretation services, and some women reported feeling uncomfortable discussing personal health matters through male interpreters.

Most participants had not previously heard of Healthwatch Worcestershire before being contacted through the project. However, people generally welcomed the engagement and valued having an independent organisation that could listen to their experiences and help raise concerns with service providers. 

Access to GP services emerged as another key theme. Participants reported difficulties getting through to surgeries by telephone, long waits for non-urgent appointments, and concerns about delays in receiving call-backs from practices. Many people preferred face-to-face appointments over telephone consultations because they felt personal contact helped build trust and confidence with their GP. At the same time, many participants said they were satisfied with the quality of care they received once they were able to access services.

Feedback collected through Healthwatch's "Your View" forms showed that language and communication issues were the most commonly reported concern, followed by difficulties obtaining GP appointments and long waiting times. However, GP services were also the most frequently praised area, with many participants expressing satisfaction with the quality of care and treatment they received.

In relation to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), the report found that awareness of the service was generally low among minority ethnic communities. Many people had never heard of CAMHS, and language barriers made it difficult for some families to understand what support was available. Participants also reported that stigma surrounding mental health remained an important issue in some communities and could discourage people from seeking help. 

The work with parents and carers of children under five found that their experiences of hospital services, GPs, community midwives, and health visitors were broadly similar to, and sometimes more positive than, those reported by the wider population. However, language barriers affected understanding of developmental assessments, and some parents were less likely to access information online or attend antenatal and postnatal support groups.

The report identified a number of challenges relating to domiciliary care services. Many participants explained that cultural expectations meant families often preferred to care for older relatives themselves and viewed accepting outside help as a last resort. As a result, support was often not sought until families reached crisis point. Many people were unaware of personal budgets, direct payments, and other social care options. Concerns were also raised about communication difficulties, cultural awareness among care providers, and limited information about available support. 

For many participants, word-of-mouth communication was seen as the most trusted way of finding out about services. Other preferred methods included information from GP surgeries, community centres, places of worship, posters, flyers, and local community hubs. Many older participants expressed concerns about increasing reliance on digital communication because they lacked internet access or computer skills.

Additional issues raised included delays in releasing bodies for burial, concerns about post-mortem arrangements, and dissatisfaction with ambulance response times in one reported case. Participants from some faith communities expressed support for the wider use of non-invasive scanning as an alternative to traditional post-mortem examinations. 

The report concluded that the engagement programme had significantly increased Healthwatch Worcestershire’s understanding of minority ethnic communities and their experiences of health and social care. It identified language barriers, access to primary care, cultural awareness, communication, and access to information as the key issues requiring attention. The report also highlighted the importance of continuing engagement through trusted community relationships and face-to-face conversations to ensure that minority ethnic communities remain involved in shaping local services.