United Women's Affiliation: #SpeakUp project report
Download (PDF 1.08 MB)Summary of report content
Healthwatch Sheffield gave the organisation United Women Affiliation a small grant to undertake engagement with their membership on the healthcare needs of Black African women. They spoke to 147 women at a series of engagement events.
Key findings:
- Many women expressed frustration that medication is offered as the first (or only) choice when they present to their GP with a health issue.
- Women with language barriers find it difficult to understand the medication they are prescribed.
- Appropriate interpreters aren’t always supplied and women who need one find that healthcare providers don’t allow them enough time for appointments.
- Women find it difficult to get GP and dentists appointments.
- Women don’t feel they are listened to by healthcare professionals
- Dentists didn’t explain NHS dental charges well enough and women felt that NHS prescription charges were confusing
- Damp social housing exacerbated their health issues and racism and harassment from other people made them feel unsafe in their homes.
- Women needed access to green space for their mental wellbeing.
- Some of the engagement sessions involved talks from healthcare professionals which the women found very informative.
The report contains eight recommendations about prescriptions, involvement, access to interpreters, longer appointment times, information about NHS charges, feeling listened to, outreach; how to report housing issues and information.