Health inequalities

From October 2021, Healthwatch Ealing’s outreach and engagement work was focused on hearing from Black and Asian Minority Ethnic residents to understand their experience of accessing health and social care services during the pandemic and their opinions on how any issues or challenges faced could be addressed in collaboration with health and social care and the local voluntary sector organisations. The aim of this work was to further understand Black and Asian Minority Ethnic health inequalities in the borough of Ealing following the publication of ‘Beyond the data: understanding the impact of COVID-19 on Black and Asian Minority Ethnic groups’ by Public Health England and to build on our previous research ‘The Impact of COVID-19’. In addition, this research aimed to produce tangible actions that can be taken by all health and social care colleagues in the borough to alleviate racial disparities in the borough.

Working in collaboration with several local community organisations that support Black and Asian Minority Ethnic individuals and borough Primary Care services, Healthwatch Ealing gathered rich insight into the views and experiences of 50 residents. Through these conversations and subsequent analysis, the following common themes were identified: Access to Information; Access to Quality Care; Lack of Integrated Care and Support; and Lack of Trust in Health & Social Care.

The findings of this report have led to a series of recommendations made by Healthwatch Ealing, that include alleviating language barriers through non-English information distribution, social media and in-person support; improving the inclusivity of healthcare access through language; reducing the digital divide through the use of community organisation support, group meetings and the prioritisation of face to face healthcare visits for individuals that would benefit from them; championing integrative, holistic care through collaborative work across the different departments within the Local Authority to address issues regarding the wider determinants of health; and finally, continue to research access and support for the underserved and seldom heard groups in the borough including the Eritrean community and Somali mothers.