Peer Review - developing learning access routes in the NHS
Theme
South Birmingham PCT has focused its Race for Health work on developing the curriculum and learning access routes to deliver a new kind of support worker (para-professional) to operate in the NHS. Working initially with children and family services only, but now with older people services too, the aim of these workers is to enable the PCT to offer more culturally appropriate support services to BME families, by confronting the difficulties they experience when accessing and utilising health services.
South Birmingham PCT aims to use the learning obtained from the development of para-professionals to inform the development of practice based commissioning, an approach which is being piloted in the Selly Oak area of Birmingham with a group of GPs. The PCT also hopes to improve the application of evidence to allow the targeting of individuals, groups and communities where access and utilisation is poor.
Questions
- Will the use of a para-professional workforce bridge the gap between marginalised BME communities, general practice other community health services? What evidence is there that this is beginning to have an effect? What are the benefits and challenges of this approach?
- Has the development of para-professionals led to an increase in knowledge regarding the needs of marginalised BME communities in South Birmingham?
- What impact has this ‘new knowledge’ had in the provision and development of health services provided to children and families?
- Can this ‘new knowledge’ be used to inform practice based commissioning so more culturally appropriate services are provided?