Inequitable Access to Health and Social Care Services in the UK: BME

This essay delves into the disparities in access to health and social care services within the UK, specifically focusing on the challenges faced by Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) populations. It highlights that access is not equitable, citing barriers such as cultural differences, linguistic issues, and varying levels of health literacy. The essay explores the impact of socioeconomic inequalities, discrimination, and the influence of Eurocentric paradigms in healthcare. It examines the Behavioral and Life course models to understand the social factors contributing to these disparities. The analysis suggests that a universal healthcare system, culturally competent care, and addressing linguistic and cultural barriers are crucial for mitigating these inequalities and ensuring equitable access to healthcare for all BME individuals. The essay concludes by emphasizing the need for improved cultural knowledge and information to foster a more inclusive and equitable healthcare system.

Introduction to health
and social care
Table of Contents

Topic of Essay: Access to health and social care services in the UK is not equitable, in relation to
Black and Minority ethnic...............................................................................................................1
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
Main Body.......................................................................................................................................1
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................4
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................4

Topic of Essay: Access to health and social care services in the UK is not
equitable, in relation to Black and Minority ethnic.
INTRODUCTION
It has been observed that in most of the healthcare and medical system, black and minority
ethnic population is still not experiencing proper health care and services as many barriers are
acknowledge to access certain services (Bhopal, 2020). The concept of ensuring health equity is
mainly related with leading equal rights along with equally access to health opportunities for all
individuals across all the communities. Thus, the main purpose of current essay is to analysis
about the Access to health and social care services in the UK is not equitable, in relation to Black
and Minority ethnic. The objective of current investigation comprises of analysing about
prevailing discrimination in healthcare sector of UK along with making valid recommendation to
mitigate and overcome the same.
Main Body
The current essay writing is based on the topic of analysing the access to health and
social care services in UK are not equitable especially in relation to Black and minority ethnic. In
UK also, growth of various ethnic communities and black people with their own culture and
traits are facing complex challenges to achieve equitable access to health and social care. The
meaning or definition of minority ethnic basically comprises or indicate a group people who
basically differ in the race or colour or have diverse physical appearance in terms of coming
from a different national, culture or religious origin (Alcindor, Alcindor and Alcindor, 2020).
Thus, the concept of health inequalities is mainly related and associated with the unjust
behaviour and avoidable differences seen in the treatment and health check-up of patients who
belong to a black or minority ethnic group. It has been analysed that a high level of inequality is
prevailing in the socioeconomic framework of UK and discrimination is also present in having
access to health and social care in UK which was confirmed by Public Health outcomes
framework (Lander and Santoro, 2017).
It has been analysed and observed that a high level of social class inequalities is present
with UK which is presenting that access to health and social care services in the UK is not
equitable. For instance: It has been observed that in England, there is a systematic relationship
between deprivation and life expectancy, known as the social gradient in health. Males living in
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the least deprived areas can, at birth, expect to live 9.4 years longer than males in the most
deprived areas. For females, this gap is 7.4 years (Williams, 2020). There has been a growing
number of evidence which reflects about the black and ethic inequalities prevailing within the
health and social care outcome in UK (Hadley, 2021). An analysis about the inequality in health
and social care in UK on the basis of Black and minority ethnicity can be made out from the fact
that it has been seen that Non-white migrant groups tend to have a lower mortality rates from the
cause of respiratory disease along with lung cancer but higher mortality rates for conditions
relating to diabetes. The main reason behind higher mortality rates relating to diabetes is due to
cultural barriers and highly impeding ethnic and black minority within UK which impede and
restrict them for access to effective diabetes care services.
Further, it has been also seen that the reason behind this discrimination and impede to
access to health and social care by black and minority ethnicity is mainly due to having high
linguistic difference among minority people who make it difficult to have effective
communication between minority patient and health workers (Brathwaite, 2018). Further, access
to health and social care services in the UK is not seemed equitable especially in relation to
Black and Minority ethnic as an issue of low health literacy level is also seen in black and
minority ethics people along with having difference about the health and illness (Smart and
Harrison, 2017). Apart from this, it has been also observed that discrimination in having access
to health and social care in UK could also be analysed and reflected by the fact that Black people
who are having heritage from the Caribbean has been diagnosed with a higher risk of mental
health problems as compared to white people which is clearly showing that they face difficulty in
having proper access to health and social care facilitates within UK. Further, it has been also
analysed that these black and minority ethnicities are also deprived from having access to
alternative forms of interventions like therapies and other treatment to reduce their ill health and
distress, thus, medical and health care services are still not equitable in UK.
It has been also seen that the psychiatry and health care services in UK are mainly
operates in the basis of Eurocentric paradigm which is leading a vital influence in the way people
from Black and minority ethnicity are having access to health and social care services in UK.
Thus, on the basis of above facts an analysis can be made out that still a high level of inequality
in prevailing in health and social care of UK. The main reason for having this discrimination and
inequality in healthcare sector of UK especially for black and minority ethnicity is based on the
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fact that they lack proper availability of services because of high cost of care along with having a
lack of culturally competent care within UK (Park and et. al., 2021). Further, Linguistic
competence which describes the capacity to have effective personnel communication along with
ability to convey information is also a factor for thick inequality to have access to health and
social care services in UK. Cultural and ethnic competence of black and minority people is also
an important barrier which is leading and influencing health care deliver to ethic minority
population in UK which comprises of patient’s wellness and heling belief system along with
behaviour and attitude of patients towards health care providers (Ware, 2017).
Beside this, there are various models which can be used to understand the social class
inequalities prevailing in the health and social care of UK. The Behavioural model is effective in
analysing about the social factors and social divisions which are creating and leading out impact
on health of various social groups especially the Black and minority ethnicity people in UK
(Shonkoff, Slopen and Williams, 2021). This Behavioural model reflects that there are social
class differences present in particular group of people who are black and belongs to minority
section which is damaging there health which comprises of many factors like dietary choices,
consumption of drugs, alcohol and tobacco, active leisure time pursuits, and use of
immunisation, contraception and antenatal services. Apart from this, the Life course model is
also a vital theory which reflects about the discrimination presents with the health care sector
which are based on some psycho-social and biological advantages and disadvantages
experienced by an individual over time in its community and society. The poor home condition
and lack of nutrients diet are the main reason which causes risk of high illness in minority people
along with lack of proper knowledge and healthcare information creates many obstacles for them
to have proper access to health and social care. Thus, on the basis of above discussion, an
analysis can be made that cultural difference, language and literacy issues along with user
ignorance and newness are the main reason which are creating discrimination and inequality in
health care sector of UK (Saunders and et. al., 2021).
Thus, some effective measures are required to mitigate the issue of inequitable access to
health and social care in UK. Implication of a universal healthcare system would ensures a more
easily accessible and equitably distributed health care system for all people among diverse
population. Further, a recommendation could also be made for health care sector of UK to
respect the diversity by the way of providing a person centred care to ensure equal accessibly
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level for all people. Further, ensuring a non –judgemental way of providing access to health and
social care services along with treating all back and minority ethnicity individuals in a supportive
way to create an environment that is free from discrimination and based on equality is also
suggested (Opara and et. al., 2021). At last, ensuring effective cultural knowledge and
information to ensure higher information ad understanding level in minority people to allows
them equal access to health and social care services within is UK is also suggested and needed to
mitigate the risk of discrimination and inequality in health care sector.
CONCLUSION
On the basis of essay, a conclusion can be made that the discrimination and inequality is
seen in access to health and social care services within UK especially for Black and minority
ethnic people. A summarisation can be made out that lack of information along with linguistic
difference are the main reason which are creating barriers and obstacles for black and minority
ethnic people of UK to have proper access for health and social care services. Beside this, it has
been also observed that Behavioural model and Life course model provides an effect theory and
appriich to analysis the key factors which are creating inequality and difficulty in access to
proper health and social care services. At last, a summarisation can be made that having a
universal health care system along with improved cultural knowledge are effective ways to
mitigate this inequality from the healthcare sector.
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REFERENCES
Books and journal
Hadley, S.P., 2021. Creating an Equitable, Healthy and Viable Industry: A Vision of How the
Piling Industry can Seize its Chance for Social Transformation. In Piling 2020:
Proceedings of the Piling 2020 Conference (pp. 5-11). ICE Publishing.
Park, K. and et. al., 2021. Transit to parks: An environmental justice study of transit access to
large parks in the US West. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, p.127055.
Saunders, M.R. and et. al., 2021. Addressing Disparities in Access to High‐quality Care. The
Science of Health Disparities Research, pp.321-338.
Shonkoff, J.P., Slopen, N. and Williams, D.R., 2021. Early childhood adversity, toxic stress, and
the impacts of racism on the foundations of health. Annual Review of Public Health, 42.
Bhopal, K., 2020. Success Against the Odds: The Effect of Mentoring on the Careers of Senior
Black and Minority Ethnic Academics in the UK. British Journal of Educational
Studies, 68(1), pp.79-95.
Alcindor, M.L., Alcindor, F. and Alcindor, M.A., 2020. Characteristics and outcomes of
pregnant Black and minority ethnic women admitted to hospital with confirmed SARS-
CoV-2 infection in the UK. Evidence-Based Nursing.
Lander, V. and Santoro, N., 2017. Invisible and hypervisible academics: the experiences of
Black and minority ethnic teacher educators. Teaching in Higher Education, 22(8),
pp.1008-1021.
Brathwaite, B., 2018. Black, Asian and minority ethnic female nurses: colonialism, power and
racism. British Journal of Nursing, 27(5), pp.254-258.
Smart, A. and Harrison, E., 2017. The under-representation of minority ethnic groups in UK
medical research. Ethnicity & health, 22(1), pp.65-82.
Ware, P., 2017. ‘Almost a whisper’: black and minority ethnic community groups’ voice and
influence. Community Groups in Context: Local Activities and Actions, p.221.
Online:
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Williams, E., 2020. What are health inequalities?. 2020. [Online] Available Through:<
https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/publications/what-are-health-inequalities#:~:text=In
%20England%2C%20there%20is%20a,this%20gap%20is%207.4%20years.>.
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