Birmingham: 'Action not reports' needed on healthcare racism

Action rather than reports is needed to tackle healthcare inequalities faced by black people in Birmingham, a charity says.

It follows a report which found people from black communities continued to face racism and discrimination when accessing treatment.

The city's director of public health said he was "horrified" by the finding. Dr Justin Varney said the system must be adapted to meet the needs of all.

Charity The First Class Foundation wants to see implementation of changes and says among the healthcare problems in need of tackling are "microaggressions" faced by communities.

The publication of the Birmingham and Lewisham African Health Inequalities Review followed an 18-month study commissioned by the areas' local authorities.

It found disadvantages among the communities in housing, pollution and availability of green space had "all contributed to worse health".

The report additionally highlighted how the communities were "exposed to structural racism and discrimination which leads to... chronic stress and trauma".

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Source: BBC News, 10 August 2022