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Showing results for tags 'Health Disparities'.
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RCPath - Medical examiners good practice series
Patient-Safety-Learning posted an article in Processes
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Content ArticleKey messages People have a right to expect: access to the care they need, when they need it and that appropriate reasonable adjustments are made to meet people’s individual needs. This starts from the first point of contact with a hospital. This is not just good practice – it is a legal requirement. staff to communicate with them in a way that meets their needs and involves them in decisions about their care that they are fully involved in their care and treatment. the care and treatment they receive meets all their needs, including making reasonable adjustments where necessary and taking into account any equality characteristics such as age, race and sexual orientation. that their experiences of care are not dependent on whether or not they have access to specialist teams and practitioners. However, the report highlights the following issues: People said they found it difficult to access care because reasonable adjustments weren't always made. Providers need to make sure they are making appropriate reasonable adjustments to meet people’s individual needs. There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution for communication. Providers need to make sure that staff have the tools and skills to enable them to communicate effectively to meet people’s individual needs. People are not being fully involved in their care and treatment. In many cases, this is because there is not enough listening, communication and involvement. Providers need to make sure that staff have enough time and skills to listen to people and their families so they understand and can meet people’s individual needs. Equality characteristics, such as age, race and sexual orientation, risked being overshadowed by a person’s learning disability or autism because staff lacked knowledge and understanding about inequalities. Providers need to ensure that staff have appropriate training and knowledge so they can meet all of a person’s individual needs. Specialist practitioners and teams cannot hold sole responsibility for improving people’s experiences of care. Providers must make sure that all staff have up-to-date training and the right skills to care for people with a learning disability and autistic people.
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Content ArticleBell Ribeiro-Addy, Member of Parliament (MP) for Streatham, who secured this debate, highlighted some of the key statistics around black maternal health and mortality in the UK: Black babies have a 121% increased risk of stillbirth and a 50% increased risk of neonatal death. Asian babies have a 55% increased risk of stillbirth and a 66% increased risk of neonatal mortality. Black women have a 43% higher risk of miscarriage, and black ethnicity is now regarded as a risk factor for miscarriage. She also referred to the findings of black maternal experiences survey carried out by grassroots organisation Five X More published earlier this year. She noted that this report highlights all the negative interactions that women experienced with healthcare professionals, from feeling discriminated against in their care to receiving a poor standard of care, which put their safety at risk, and being denied pain relief because of the trope that black women are less likely to feel pain. The Government response in this debate was provided by Maria Caulfield MP, Minister for Mental Health and Women’s Health Strategy.
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Poorer areas in England suffer most from GP shortage, study finds
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
The gap between the number of GPs per patient in richer and poorer parts of England is widening, according to analysis by University of Cambridge. The study for BBC Newsnight saw "stark inequalities" in GPs' distribution. Separate BBC research also found patient satisfaction on measures such as how easy a practice is to reach by phone is lower in deprived areas. The Department of Health and Social Care said it was focusing support on those who need it most. Earlier this year, public satisfaction with GP care - as measured by the British Social Attitudes poll - fell to its lowest level across England since the survey began in 1983. The fall was widespread across all income groups. The finding chimes with a Health Foundation analysis of official checks on the quality of services carried out by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). It found practices serving patients living in the most deprived areas are more likely to receive CQC ratings of "inadequate" and "requires improvement" than those serving patients who live in the most affluent areas. Read full story Source: BBC News, 4 November 2022 -
EventThe case for addressing poverty, its root causes and associated health inequalities is urgent and overwhelming. The Covid-19 pandemic has laid bare the harm caused by deprivation, and the cost-of-living crisis is likely to hit the poorest the hardest – leading to poorer health and lower social mobility. At this event, leaders across the NHS, local government, the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector, and those with lived experience will share learning on the role of the health and care sector in tackling the root causes of poverty. This King's Fund event will provide practical examples on how the health and care sector can effectively engage with partners across local government, the VCSE sector and business, to achieve meaningful progress on poverty and deliver services to the most excluded in society. You will hear about the role of NHS organisations as ‘anchor institutions’ and discuss how health and care organisations should use their influence and resources to poverty-proof services, address inequalities, and benefit the communities they serve. Register
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Content ArticleThe article presents analysis showing that: there are many health-related metrics, such as number of preventable deaths, that increase as deprivation increases. there are several health-related metrics, including life expectancy and those receiving support from GPs, which decrease as deprivation increases. many health-related metrics—for instance people taking up NHS Health Check invitations and access to NHS dental services—do not correlate with the level of deprivation. The article argues that getting a better understanding of these relationships can help to underpin strategies to improve outcomes and drive improvements in population health.
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News Article
‘Alarming’ rise in type 2 diabetes among UK under-40s
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
The number of people under 40 in the UK being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes is rising at a faster pace than the over-40s, according to “shocking” and “incredibly troubling” data that experts say exposes the impact of soaring obesity levels. The UK ranks among the worst in Europe with the most overweight and obese adults, according to the World Health Organization. On obesity rates alone, the UK is third after Turkey and Malta. The growing numbers of overweight and obese children and young adults across the UK is now translating into an “alarming acceleration” in type 2 diabetes cases among those aged 18 to 39, analysis by Diabetes UK suggests. There is a close association between obesity and type 2 diabetes. There is a seven times greater risk of type 2 diabetes in obese people compared with those of healthy weight, and a threefold increase in risk for those just overweight. “This analysis confirms an incredibly troubling growing trend, underlining how serious health conditions related to obesity are becoming more and more prevalent in a younger demographic,” Chris Askew, the chief executive of Diabetes UK, said. He added: “While it’s important to remember that type 2 diabetes is a complex condition with multiple other risk factors, such as genetics, family history and ethnicity, these statistics should serve as a serious warning to policymakers and our NHS. “They mark a shift from what we’ve seen historically with type 2 diabetes and underline why we’ve been calling on the government to press ahead with evidence-based policies aimed at improving the health of our nation and addressing the stark health inequalities that exist in parts of the UK.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 1 November 2022 -
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MRSA reported at Manston in migrant who tested positive for diphtheria
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
A case of MRSA has been reported at the congested asylum processing centre at Manston in Kent, the Guardian has learned, after it emerged that Suella Braverman ignored advice that people were being kept at the centre unlawfully. The antibiotic-resistant bacteria was identified in an asylum seeker who initially tested positive for diphtheria. But the asylum seeker was moved out of the site in Ramsgate to a hotel hundreds of miles away before the positive test result was received, raising concerns about the spread of the infection. The Manston site is understood to now have at least eight confirmed cases of diphtheria, a highly contagious and potentially serious bacterial infection. Migrants are meant to be held at the short-term holding facility, which opened in January, for 24 hours while they undergo checks before being moved into immigration detention centres or asylum accommodation such as a hotel. But giving evidence to a committee of MPs last week, David Neal, the independent chief inspector of borders and immigration, said he had spoken to a family from Afghanistan living in a marquee for 32 days, and two families from Iraq and Syria sleeping on mats with blankets for two weeks. Conditions at the site left him “speechless”, he said. On a visit to the site on 24 October, Neal was told there were four confirmed cases of diphtheria. Protective medical equipment for staff has now been brought on to the site. Although diphtheria is a notifiable disease, meaning cases must be reported to authorities, those at Manston have not appeared on weekly public health reports. A Home Office spokesperson said it was “aware of a very small number of cases of diphtheria reported at Manston”, and that proper medical guidance and protocols were being followed. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 30 October 2022 -
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News ArticlePatients from minority groups are facing longer wait times for potentially life-saving lung cancer treatment compared to their white counterparts, according to a study. Experts warn that disparities can have real consequences – the earlier treatment is initiated, the better the health outcomes for patients. Researchers at the University of Virginia (UVA) Cancer Centre reviewed data from more than 222,700 patients with non-small cell lung cancer across the US. The findings, published in the scientific journal Health Equity, showed that the mean time for radiation initiation was 61.7 days. Broken down by ethnicity, white patients had to wait only 60.9 days, while Black patients had a wait time of 65.9 days, meanwhile for Asian patients, it was 71.9 days. A single-week delay in treatment could lead to a 3.2% and 1.6% increase in the risk of death for patients with stage I and stage II non-small cell lung cancer, respectively. “Our results suggest that non-white lung cancer patients have delayed time to cancer treatment compared with white patients, and this is not limited to a particular type of treatment facility,” said senior researcher Rajesh Balkrishnan, PhD, of UVA Cancer Center and the University of Virginia School of Medicine’s Department of Public Health Sciences. “Collaboration among providers and community stakeholders and organisations is much needed to increase accessibility and patient knowledge of cancer and to overcome existing disparities in timely care for lung cancer patients.” Scientists cite multiple reasons for the racial disparities, including health insurance – non-white patients are more likely to be uninsured, face greater socioeconomic barriers to care and may be perceived by doctors as being at risk for not following through with treatment plans. Read full story Source: The Independent, 26 October 2022
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Public health cuts must be avoided, new PM told
Patient-Safety-Learning posted a news article in News
Cuts to public health budgets will hit poorest communities the hardest, the new government is being warned. Directors of public health say local authorities - which pay for initiatives such as smoking cessation services - are on a financial cliff edge. Rising inflation means ventures will cost more to run. Any reduction in funding in next week's spending announcement will have a direct impact on the lives of the most vulnerable, they said. David Finch, assistant director of healthy lives at The Health Foundation, said: "Public health interventions have been shown to be really cost effective. Investing in these preventative measures that help to keep people in good health in the first place means you're protecting against future costs to the economy and society by keeping people healthy and reducing poor health in the future." Read full story Source: BBC News, 26 October 2022 -
News ArticleResearchers in the US have found a genetic link between people with African ancestry and the aggressive type of breast cancer. They hope their findings will encourage more black people to get involved in clinical trials in a bid to improve survival rates for people with the disease. Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is more common in women under 40 and disproportionately affects black women. A study published in the journal JAMA Oncology found that black women diagnosed with TNBC are 28% more likely to die from it than white women with the same diagnosis. Now a new study has confirmed a definitive genetic link between African ancestry and TNBC. Lisa Newman, of Weill Cornell Medicine, has been part of an international project studying breast cancer in women in different regions of Africa for 20 years. She says representation of women with diverse backgrounds on clinical trials is absolutely critical. "Unfortunately, African-American women are disproportionately under-represented in cancer clinical trials and we see this in the breast cancer clinical trials as well," says Dr Newman. "If you don't have diverse representation, you don't understand how to apply these advances in treatment. "Part of it is because there is some historic mistrust of the healthcare system. "We do continue to see systemic racism in the healthcare delivery system where it has been documented, tragically, that many cancer care providers are less likely to offer clinical trials to their black patients compared with their white patients."
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News ArticleMore than a third of the 3143 counties in the US are maternity “deserts” without a hospital or birth centre that offers obstetric care and without any obstetric providers—and the situation is getting worse, says a report from the March of Dimes organisation. Maternity deserts have increased by 2% since the 2020 report, said the organisation which seeks to improve the health of women and babies. Care is diminishing where it is needed most—especially in rural areas. It affects nearly seven million women of childbearing age and about half a million babies. Read full story (paywalled) Source: BMJ, 17 October 2022
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Slow cancer diagnosis twice as likely for ethnic minority patients, survey shows
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
New patient data shows significant regional differences in the effectiveness of primary care in getting cancer sufferers diagnosed – with an even more alarming picture when the data is broken down by ethnicity. A survey of cancer patients asked how many times they had “spoken to a healthcare professional at [their] GP practice about health problems caused by cancer” before they were diagnosed, with a range between one and more than five times. The overall figure for five times or more in England was 7% – but all four cancer alliances in London scored significantly above this. Cancer Research UK said this could reflect the greater concentration of ethnic minority patients in the capital, and the data bore this out. Nationally, 6.6% of white cancer patients had seen five or more primary care staff before getting a diagnosis. This compared to 11.7% for Asian cancer patients and 12.9% for Black cancer patients. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 18 October 2022 -
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