Ealing PCT ... BMER Health and Social Care Forum
Ealing Black, Minority Ethnic and Refugee Health and Social Care Forum Members of local community and voluntary groups at December's BMER Health and Social Care Group Forum
"Towards Race Equality in Health and Social Care in Ealing" was the title of a lively workshop for community and voluntary groups in December, attended by over 60 people. Participants were keen to put Ealing PCT on the spot with a wide range of questions and challenges. The agenda was deliberately made broad so that people could raise the issues of most concern to them. They included mental health and the problems faced disproportionately by young Black men; the quality of GP premises and difficulties with access and registering; multiple discrimination facing Black and minority ethnic people with disabilities or who are gay or lesbian; the PCT's response to HIV/AIDS; the needs of non-English speakers.
Community representatives made many positive suggestions to improve health and health services. These included developing more health education resources in community languages, public campaigns to reduce the stigma of mental illness, and recruiting more people from Black and minority ethnic and refugee (BMER) communities into the NHS as health professionals and GP receptionists.
Some specific problems were raised that we could solve quickly, for example, access to interpreters to help patients make their appointments for a blood test at a community site. Other problems need longer term solutions. The PCT faces a challenge over the in balancing the mainstream budget and planning forward strategies for externally-funded projects in deprived neighbourhoods, such as ealthy Living Initiatives. We need to make sure that pressure on resources is not felt unfairly communities most in need.
Ealing PCT will update the Race Equality Scheme in 2005, and we will need to take account of the workshop in our planning. A follow-up workshop is planned on 6th April.
Contact Stephen James, Head of Partnerships and Diversity, Ealing PCT, 1 Armstrong Way, Southall UB2 4SA. Tel: 020 8893 0318. Fax: 020 8893 0398.