Racial inequalities in UK healthcare are essential to consider from a patient's perspective from a black, Asian and ethnic minority background (BAME). It was reported in 2019 by the Ministry of Housing that the top 10 per cent of people living in the most deprived neighbourhoods in the UK were all from BAME backgrounds, with Pakistani people having the highest percentage of 31.1 per cent. Areas with lower standards of living are linked to their physical health. BAME people are twice as likely to live in poverty than their white counterparts, according to the Guardian reports in 2020. BAME living in these deprived areas may not think that taking care of their health is as important as, for example, their other concerns, such as how to make a living. BAME tend to struggle more with their socioeconomic conditions because of their racialised pre-conceptions created in the Western sphere, which makes minority groups categorised as 'other' and hence less critical, which impacts the access to opportunities they have when trying to make a living in the West.
Black people were 1.9 times as likely to die from coronavirus in the UK, Bangladeshi and Pakistanis 1.8 times more likely, and Indians 1.5 more likely than their white counterparts. Though BAME form less than 20 per cent of the UK's population, they are at more of a health disadvantage. Also, BAME are more likely to suffer from chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. This shows that not enough is being done for the health of BAME patients to be protected. There are also additional reasons, such as language barriers and also institutional racism in the NHS, where in London, for example, 45 per cent of NHS staff are BAME but only makeup 7.9 per cent of NHS Board members. The NHS needs to make a conscious effort to increase inclusivity through the provision of translating resources used during appointments for those who may struggle with English and increasing inclusivity within the NHS staff to ensure that the decisions made from the top which can impact the experience of BAME patients are made by those who can reflect their beliefs. After every interaction with the healthcare system, official surveys need to be taken by patients. This will be used in reports by every area in the NHS to ensure, in particular, the BAME experience is being documented and bettered by the surveys.
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