Getting tested for prostate cancer should’ve been easy for Paul Campbell. He wanted a check-up after seeing an advert on TV calling for men in their 40s to get thorough health checks.
He asked his GP but was immediately questioned about why he – a man who seemed otherwise healthy – would want a check-up.
“I had to fight my ground, I had to raise my voice. And eventually, I got the test,” Mr Campbell told The Independent. He was later diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer.
“Had I not been assertive and pushy, by the time I found out, it would have been stage 4.”
Mr Campbell is far from being alone in his experience. New research from the NHS Race and Health Observatory found “alarming levels” of discrimination towards patients from ethnic minorities and huge levels of mistrust in the NHS system.
The survey of 2,680 people found only 55% trusted primary care to meet their health needs most or all of the time, while a third of south Asian participants said they either rarely or never trusted primary care to meet their health needs.
On Friday, the NHS Race and Health Observatory roundtable brought together 20 key partners from local communities, the volunteer sector, the government and broader NHS to discuss the findings.
Professor Habib Naqvi, chief executive, NHS Race and Health Observatory, said: “We cannot have a two-tier NHS based upon patient ethnicity, background or circumstances. This report reflects the clear need to bring speed and urgency to reform the NHS, so that patients do not face discrimination and systemic barriers when seeking healthcare.”
These issues have a real impact on health outcomes.
Source: The Independent, 9 March 2025
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