Luton Teaching PCT
About Us
Luton’s population, just fewer than 200,000, is approximately 30% from BME communities. The south Asian community is long established, also Black Caribbean and African communities. More recently there has been an increase in migrants from Eastern Europe, especially Poland. Our population is younger than average and the fertility rate high. Around fifty per cent of the pupils in Luton schools come from a BME background.
Our BME population faces big issues…
Language Barriers: there are some language barriers, especially for older members of the community. We have interpretation and translation services.
Some health problems, for example diabetes, CHD, HIV/AIDS, TB affect some BME groups disproportionately.
Lack of culturally aware services: some services are more difficult for BME communities to access for a range of cultural and historic reasons, e.g. mental health services, sexual health services, treatment for problematic drug and alcohol use.
Deprivation: some BME populations are concentrated in deprived areas; poor living conditions are closely linked to poor health.
Transient population: Luton has a large number of transient residents, including gypsies and travellers, students from overseas and other temporary residents. Luton has an international airport so is a ‘stop off’ point for some coming from overseas.
Asylum seekers: this group of people may have a complicated medical history (including torture or other trauma) and few medical notes or history, with little understanding of how to access health services.
Our workforce needs….
We have developed a comprehensive plan for equality and diversity training and delivery of equality impact assessments across the entire organisation. Equality of opportunity, for new personnel and existing BME staff achieving promotion within Luton PCT, needs to be addressed and this will be a focus when we develop our 2008/9 workforce strategy and action plans.
Commissioning raises issues….
Data shortage: our commissioners have started to engage with service providers to analyse and monitor the local population and supply culturally competent services.
A key focus will be to support the East of England Strategic Health Authority’s, and therefore Luton PCT’s, pledge to ensure that healthcare is available to marginalised groups.
The PCT will seize the opportunity provided by the new LINKS arrangements, to seek the increased involvement in our work of BME patient and public representatives. Our practice-based commissioning partners are included in these plans.
Diversity awareness is essential for all involved in the commissioning process.
We’re proud of……….
The success of our Pursuing Perfection projects in relation to children with disabilities and complex care needs.
There have been significant improvements to the health of Luton people in recent years. The Luton tPCT/UA Health Inequalities Profile 2007 (ERPHO, December 2007), states that: “the average health of the population of Luton continues to improve steadily…overall, the average life expectancy in this area has increased by 8 months since 2001-03…and health inequalities within Luton have all reduced, and for smoking deaths the inequality is no longer statistically significant.
Our team of infant feeding advisors who work with closely with members of our South Asian population.
Some of our public health roles, including the Director of Public Health, are shared appointments with our local authority. This allows us to share information and objectives and to plan health and social care services in a joined-up, fully informed and coherent way.
Work on TB, HIV and smoking cessation is proactively taken to BME groups by tPCT staff whose remit specifically includes BME health.
Next steps……
We want staff, patient and public involvement - including closer ties with local voluntary sector groups - to inform existing and new service provision.
Completion of equality impact assessment, following recent senior manager and team leaders training.
Continuing our current work to refine our workforce data, ethnicity monitoring and use and access of service by ethnicity group monitoring.
Improvements in access to primary care for the most deprived parts of the town, and more walk-in services for unregistered patients.
Programme lead:
Ian Winstanley, ian.winstanley@luton-pct.nhs.uk, tel: 01582 556781