Factors Affecting Access to Health and Social Care Services

Running head: HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE
HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

1HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE
Unit 11: Services in Health and Social Care
M2– Using the case studies below, explore the factors that affect access to services. Give examples
from the cases to show how that factor may affect the individual’s access to services.
Factors Description of Factors
1: Geographical
location How do these factors
positively affect someone’s
access to services?
How do these factors
negatively affect someone’s
access to services?
Proximity to
services
Proximity to service will is
helpful as in need the person
can be admitted to such
healthcare service.
For severely injured and
affected patients proximity to
service is beneficial (Okwaraji
et al. 2012).
The negative effect of
proximity to service is that it
reduces the person’s access
to healthcare in case of
emergency. If the service is
far from the person, it will
delay care for patients like
Giselle, who is wheelchair
dependent to admit when
severely ill or injured and
hence, their health will be
compromised (Betancourt et
al. 2016).
Transport links If the health and social care
unit has a better
transportation link, then in the
adverse situation it will be
easier to drive that person to
the healthcare service, with a
higher and improved chance
of the person's survival
(Betancourt et al. 2016). For
instance, Giselle was a
member of traveller
community and having good
transport link is
advantageous for her.
If the social and healthcare
unit does not have better link
to transportation, then the
place will have higher rate of
mortality (Okwaraji et al.
2012). As Giselle has
cerebral palsy she may have
asthma attack, respiratory
distress syndrome, it will be
difficult to access the
speciality services
2: Socio-
economic factors How do these factors
positively affect someone’s
access to services?
How do these factors
negatively affect someone’s
access to services?
Education With education, the person
will be able to understand the
importance and implication of
healthcare and wellbeing in
their life and hence, will utilize
the health care services on
time to stay fit and healthy (El
Rifai, Mosaad and Farghaly
Without education, a patient
has poor health literacy and
eventually does not
understand the
consequences of worsening
symptoms or long-term
impact. For instance the

2HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE
2017).
Health awareness
and lifestyle
choices
Health awareness and
lifestyle-related choices hold
importance as with proper
knowledge of these two help
the person to make healthy
decisions. Joaquin can be
educated about his
hallucinations for early
treatment.
Without proper knowledge of
healthy choices and lifestyle
choices, the patient may not
be able to make health or
lifestyle related decisions (El
Rifai, Mosaad and Farghaly
2017). Joaquin may not
agree to stay in hospital
without the health awareness
and impact of hearing voices.
3: Equality and
Diversity How do these factors
positively affect someone’s
access to services?
How do these factors
negatively affect someone’s
access to services?
Cultural and
religious
Culturally competent care
helps the patients to attain
healthcare and feel
comfortable as their rights,
privacy, and confidentiality
are maintained and ensures
mental well being ((Betancour
et al., 2016). For instance,
nurses helping Joaquin to
meet his needs to read bible
daily will allow him to access
care positively and stay in
hospital.
The healthcare nurses must
consider the cultural and
spiritual needs of patients
else it will lead to non-
compliance of treatment
(Betancour et al., 2016). For
instance, Giselle is obese
with poor diet. Before
recommending dietary
changes her cultural factors
and cooking traditions may
be addressed else she may
not comply.
Gender Addressing the patient’s
gender preferences in
accessing health care
ensures positive outcomes
(Betancour et al., 2016). For
instance, Giselle is recipient
of benefits and hence may
prefer female nurse for
washing and bathing. It will
preserve her dignity and give
sense of security or safety
The presence of stereotypical
norms of society, services is
affected due to gender barrier
(Betancour et al., 2016).
Giselle may not prefer the
help of male nurse in
transferring patients from bed
to wheelchair. It will resist her
from taking help making her
insecure
4:
Communication How do these factors
positively affect someone’s
access to services?
How do these factors
negatively affect someone’s
access to services?