Health Inequalities

We want to improve Somerset’s health care service for our ethnic diverse communities.

Working with Somerset’s diverse community and health/social care providers we want to improve their support and services. Addressing inequalities in both access and care for patients and professionals.

Our health is vital in every part of our lives, so it is important that we get the best experience and treatment available no matter where we are from or who we work for.

The challenges of inequality in health can take many forms within our diverse communities, barriers in understanding:

• cultural differences
• language
• unconscious bias
• micro-aggressions
• health disparities by ethnic background
• vaccination myths

These barriers can lead to lower uptake and engagement with health and social care, preventing access to health care, assumptions and some ‘normal’ practices can lead to misdiagnoses or late treatment.