Experiences of Gypsy and Traveller Communities in Kent
Download (PDF 1.14 MB)Summary of report content
Healthwatch Kent published this report in June 2017. The information was gathered the same year.
They wanted to talk to as many people from the Gypsy & Traveller community as possible and provide free Information & Signposting support as well as hearing about their experiences of local health & social care services.
Healthwatch Kent visited 7 official Traveller sites across Kent and talked directly with 47 members of the community.
Many people spoke about their difficulties getting to see a local GP.
Many people reported difficulty register-ing and accessing services
High percentage of adults had literacy issues and needed extra support to fill in forms and read appointment letters. Many older residents were illiterate.
Access to information was a challenge for many. Broadband was not available at most sites making it hard for people to find out about services and complete online information
Other issues included:
Quality of treatment
Waiting times
GP services
GP appointments
Hospital appointments
Staff attitudes
Recommendations were made as a result of this work - no response was provided by the local Clinical Commissioning Groups.