Inequity in Health and Social Care Services in the UK Essay

This essay examines the health and social care services within the United Kingdom, focusing on the critical issue of inequitable access, particularly for Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) groups. The essay defines key terms like health and social care, discrimination, and equity, setting the stage for a detailed analysis. It highlights the UK's substantial investment in healthcare, its advanced facilities, and its global appeal for medical treatments, while also acknowledging problems such as unethical behaviors and discrimination in healthcare settings. The core argument centers on the allegation of unequal access to services, with discrimination based on factors like religion, race, and nationality. The essay presents data on the increasing number of discrimination cases, emphasizing the impact of social factors and cultural discrimination on healthcare experiences. It references legal regulations like the anti-discrimination act and reports such as The Marmot Review, to underline the efforts to address discrimination and promote equitable healthcare. The conclusion emphasizes the need for continued efforts to combat discrimination and improve healthcare for all in the UK.

essay

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY.............................................................................................................................3
Health and social care services in United Kingdom...............................................................3
CONCLUSION..........................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES...........................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
Health and social care services is defined as all such services that provide by health
and social care organisations based in United Kingdom. Health and social care sector is all
about the health care and medical services provided to people in United Kingdom. In this
report health and social care services based in United Kingdom will be discussed.
Henceforth, report would emphasis on the issue that in United Kingdom the health and social
care services are not equitable in respect to black and minority ethnic. This report would
precisely highlight about the services in United Kingdom.
MAIN BODY
Health and social care services in United Kingdom
Main term used in essay
Health and social care is the treatment of ill health and medical conditions in
hospitals, health centres and in the community. Social care is a care and support in respect to
health care to such peoples who really need this kind of services. The people who are
backward in financial and economic context are needed specially these kind of services.
Black and minority ethnic groups are comprises with race, nationality, ethnic or different
national origin, religion and all these aspects in United Kingdom. This is more like
discrimination in United Kingdom with these entire category of peoples based in United
Kingdom (Favell and Barbulescu, 2018). Discrimination is a term used in this project that
give emphasis on the differentiation or different treatment on any social ground. Equitable the
term that denote about the fair treatment with all individual and it can be projected that
fairness opposes any kind of discrimination on any ground in allotting and services to
individuals. Health care is one of the basic rights of human being. This is among the basic
need and requirements of human being.
United Kingdom has a huge investment over its health care from past many years.
Government has prioritised its health care sector as a part of the investment in the people
based in United Kingdom. Health care is the primary sector as it is associated with the basic
needs of human being. Over the past many decades the investment in health care sector has
generated many positive results like United Kingdom has the best health care services, the
amenities in United Kingdom like plenty of beds, nursing staffs, doctors, hospitals and many
other amenities that has also added value in the health care sector of United Kingdom. People

all across the globe came to United Kingdom to cure the disease (Mantovani, Pizzolati and
Edge, 2017). In United Kingdom almost every single disease has best possible treatments
with best level of amenities like hospitals, healthy and hygienic rooms and many other
services. The investment in health care sector has paid off the United Kingdom in form of
high rank in different indexes like people health care, happy index, standard of living in
country and many other surveys that portrait the effective results for United Kingdom.
Along with the effective health care services available in United Kingdom many
issues has also registered based on the health care system of United Kingdom. Apart from
having the best level of medical amenities the sector also registered the complaints of many
patients in regards to the unethical behaviour from the hospital staffs, doctors and also the
illegal treatments with patients in United Kingdom in form of overcharging bills and other
issues. All these issues have also changed the image of the health care structure of United
Kingdom. Along with all the issues associated with the health care sector of United Kingdom
one issue which has highlighted the most over many years is the discrimination in devoting
health care services to patients. Many patients and people has put an allegation over the
health care structure of United Kingdom that it has also comprises with the issue call as
access to health and social care services in United Kingdom is not equitable (Paradies, Bastos
and Priest, 2017). The term not equitable denote as promoting an unethical treatment in form
of discrimination in devoting health care services to people. On the ground of religion, caste,
nationality, racism and other social aspects discrimination is treated while serving the health
care services at United Kingdom. Every year the total number of cases related to
discrimination has been increasing. The increasing trend in discrimination cases in United
Kingdom in health care sector denote the fact that the sector is also catering this system
illness where not everyone gets the best treatment and every single individual get the equal
treatment to cure the diseases they are suffering.
Social factors comprises with factors like caste, religion, nationality, race, ethnic and
many other factors. In United Kingdom many cases has been reported where the patients got
inappropriate and unfair treatment on the ground of different nationality, religion, caste and
on the basis of such unethical principles in the health care treatments they received from the
health care organisation. United Kingdom has one of the best health care facilities which
attracts to people from all across the globe to come and cure the disease they carry (Wallace,
Nazroo, and Bécares, 2016). Due to the latest infrastructure and services the best health care
treatments patients get in United Kingdom. Apart from educated and high social standards

United Kingdom also serves the discrimination in the treatment on much unethical ground
like caste and other factors. The health care facilities at United Kigdom are also expensive as
compare to rest of the world. The cost of health care treatment in United Kingdom also not fit
in the budget of many lower middle class and lower class people across the globe. Apart from
the economic disparity the discrimination also noticed in United Kingdom which also causes
to many problems with the people who belong to different nationality in United Kingdom.
Unequal treatment in patients has been noticed on different social class in United
Kingdom. The social class involve professional occupation, managerial and technical
occupation, skilled occupation, partly skilled occupation and other social classes. The people
come from upper social class’s gets good treatment and fairness in the health care services.
They als able to afford the health care treatment in United Kingdom at good health care
organisations (Waugh and et.al., 2017). Cultural discrimination has also seen in United
Kingdom. People from different cultures get the different treatment in health care systems at
United Kingdom. Cultural diversity is also a ground on which patients get unfair treatment at
different health care organisations. Many cases have also been registered where
discrimination has also seen on the ground of religion.
The black report has also published about the inequality in heath care treatment at
United Kingdom. The report published in 1980 has confirmed about the health care
discrimination in United Kingdom. This report has projected four ground of differentiation
such as social selection, artefact, and behaviour and material circumstances. This report has
also projected the discrimination with the people who carry a black skin ton in United
Kingdom. Over the period of time the different treatment with people in United Kingdom in
health care treatments, job selection and in many other aspects has been seen. Government in
United Kingdom has also formed many legal regulations like anti discrimination act where
the cases will be addressed that has served any form of discrimination with the treatment of
people in United Kingdom (Wyman, Shiovitz-Ezra and Bengel, 2018). These legal
regulations have put some impacts in United Kingdom and now the situations are changing
rapidly. These legal regulations have also created awareness in the people in respect to unfair
treatments with the peoples on any social grounds. The issue of discrimination is not new. In
recent time in United States of America has also witnessed the issue related to differentiation
with people who has a black skin colour. This discrimination is seen across the globe. Legal
regulations and act could make some difference by spreading the specific awareness against
this kind of unethical treatment with the people in society. Many other reports like The

Marmot Review also point up the issues like discrimination in health care treatments. The
review was commissioned in the year 2008 to provide evidence based recommendations in
strategies used to overcome discrimination in health sector at United Kingdom. This review
has also given many recommendations like existing of social gradients in health care sector,
health inequalities and different other recommendations. All these focused over removing the
evil treatment in health care sector with the people who has different religious and cultural
values, skin colour and other aspects. These recommendations have supported government in
dealing with these issues part of the society.
CONCLUSION
This report has talked about the differentiation exist in the health care sector of United
Kingdom. On the ground of caste, religion, creed, gender, colour, skin ton, language these
discrimination entertained in the society and also in the health care sector as well.
Government has also initiated to control the unfairness in the health care sector by making
legal regulations like anti discrimination act and many other ways like spreading awareness
in society towards equal treatment. United Kingdom has one of the most advanced health
care systems and also it’s full of issues like discriminations which needed to undertake to
make it more profitable for society.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Favell, A. and Barbulescu, R., 2018. Brexit,'Immigration'and Anti-discrimination.
Mantovani, N., Pizzolati, M. and Edge, D., 2017. Exploring the relationship between stigma
and help‐seeking for mental illness in African‐descended faith communities in the
UK. Health Expectations. 20(3). pp.373-384.
Paradies, Y., Bastos, J. L. and Priest, N., 2017. Prejudice, stigma, bias, discrimination, and
health.
Wallace, S., Nazroo, J. and Bécares, L., 2016. Cumulative effect of racial discrimination on
the mental health of ethnic minorities in the United Kingdom. American Journal of
Public Health. 106(7). pp.1294-1300.
Waugh, W. and et.al., 2017. Exploring experiences of and attitudes towards mental illness
and disclosure amongst health care professionals: a qualitative study. Journal of
Mental Health. 26(5). pp.457-463.
Wyman, M. F., Shiovitz-Ezra, S. and Bengel, J., 2018. Ageism in the health care system:
Providers, patients, and systems. In Contemporary perspectives on ageism (pp. 193-
212). Springer, Cham. Flint, S.W., 2019. Weight stigma and discrimination: Time
for change!. Nutrition Bulletin. 44(3). pp.249-253.
Online:
Inequalities in health, 2020. [Online]. Available Through:
<https://www.healthknowledge.org.uk/public-health-textbook/medical-sociology-policy-
economics/4c-equality-equity-policy/inequalities-distribution>.