3. Involve and engage
Evidence suggests that strong partnerships and links between healthcare providers and community groups can greatly improve access to primary care for BME groups. An effective local healthcare system should be designed to meet the needs of BME communities. It is a part of their legal duty to promote race equality, PCTs need to consider BME issues when commissioning and developing new services. Involvement and engagement in the design of services, as a part of a wider strategy concerning increased patient autonomy and patient-centred decision-making, is needed in order to enable continuous improvement across the whole community.
Helpful resources
- Race for Health is a programme that supports PCTs around the country working in partnership with local BME communities.
- The Improvement Foundation works with PCTs and practices and runs a health improvement programme. It also offers tailored support on improving access and responsiveness in BME communities.
- Social Action for Health developed a cutting-edge education and development programme for training health guides across East London.
- The Race for Health guide and good practice resource for commissioning on how to close the health inequalities gap for BME groups provides useful information for anyone involved in commissioning.
- A Dialogue of Equals www.dh.gov.uk is a guide written to support NHS organisations to better engage with seldom-heard communities and groups.
Tips
- Black Heath Agency – ‘How the NHS works’ DVD This short DVD on how to use the NHS gives simple messages about registering with a GP, making an appointment and asking for an interpreter. It is in English with voiceovers in main community languages. It is a good example of improving both engagement with patients and health literacy. It can be played in waiting rooms as part of an information package.
- Local BME community groups PCTs and practices that have good links with local communities maintain a local database or directory. This includes voluntary organisations and community groups, local media contacts, newspapers and newsletters, other equalities specialists and networks (age, disability and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) organisations), as well as members of Local Involvement Networks (LINks).
- A database can be created simply by searching for the term ‘community groups’ on the internet or by looking them up on www.upmystreet.com.
