PIB013-6 Health and Social Care Inequalities Assignment Sample 2024
Introduction
Health and wellbeing of citizens are integral factors on which any welfare state is built. Providing healthcare to citizens in order to help them further their individual goals and lead a healthy and disease-free life is a fundamental right, as provided by the State. There, though, lies a greatly unequal system whereby those from lower economic and social class face discrimination in receiving proper treatment.
This present study discusses on an elaborate scale various health and social care inequalities present in different systems, focusing on ethnic discriminations. Systematic oppression against the black and Asian ethnic communities has increased their vulnerability in accessing effective service and care in public spheres. Ignorance and lack of education of the larger mass has induced a lack of access to proper healthcare and sanitation facilities.
This study has discussed in detail the economic and social impacts of ethnic and racial discrimination on these ethnic communities. In addition to this, the essay has also reflected on various impacts of the discrimination on the overall physical and psychological wellbeing of these individuals. Along with this, discussions on various government policies which have been enacted to reduce discrimination based on ethnicity present in the healthcare system have been discussed at length.
Health and Social Care Inequalities
Health inequalities refer to differences within status of health of an individual. This term is also used for referring to differences within care which an individual receives and multiple opportunities which can help them in having a life which is healthy.
There are several measures by which Government can reduce inequalities and some of them are making sure that incomes of rich are reduced and increasing incomes of poorest. It is responsibility of Government to remove poverty within lower ethnic societies for reducing inequalities which are present within society.
Inequalities in life expectancy based on ethnicity are quite high within population of black and minority ethnic groups. Life expectancy measures health status of lower ethnic groups.. Life expectancy has a direct relation with socio economic circumstances of an individual within minority groups.
Most common measure which has been identified is presence of high deprivation within minority groups which restricts them from getting access to improved public health services. According to Marmot (2018), multiple deprivation index tries to measure deprivation which is present within minority groups and it is based on certain factors namely income, employment and education.
A systematic relationship between expectancy and deprivation is an important measure of social gradient of ethnic groups. It was found from studies that the total mortality rate of 38 ethnic minorities was around 9.47% which is considered to be 3.11% higher than that of national average level. Ethnic minority infant mortality rate was also around 50.95% which is also quite high.
Health inequalities are experienced by almost everyone who is present within ethnic society. Growth rate along with inequalities is declining rapidly within ethnic populations and on comparing it was found that the gap during life expectancy at birth of males was 0.3 times more than of females (Kingsfund, 2021). Life expectancy of females is falling by 100 days every year which is quite alarming. Geographical inequalities within life expectancy are also being observed and it has been found that presence of deprived individuals is very high.
There is a presence of high inequalities in healthy life expectancy of ethnic groups. Key measure of health inequality is amount of time which is being spent by an individual of an ethnic group in getting good health services delivered to them. Two important measures have been identified for measuring inequalities present within healthy life expectancy of ethnic groups.
One of them is amount of quality time which is spent by an individual for increasing their healthy life expectancies and another one is leading a life free from any kind of disabilities (Flanagin et al. 2021). This measure tries to identify time spent in getting healthy services is really worth it and whether an individual is satisfied or not. Ethnicity results from multiple differences which are socially and economically present.
They are distinguished on basis of race, culture, nationality and religion. Surveys which are conducted on a regular basis show that there is presence of high health inequalities within people of low ethnicity and they are ones who show high rates of ill health.
According to Nazroo et al. (2020), Black and Minority Ethnic experience worse health services compared to people of other ethnicities. Not having access to proper health services it’s often found that they lead a life which is unhygienic in nature. Ethnic people generally tend to have low income and less financial stability present within themselves which restricts them to get access to proper health services.
Health issues within Black and minority groups generally start at younger age which becomes difficult for them to recover from at their later stages of life. People who are present within UK have been reported with presence of high poor health within themselves.
Presence of high ethnicity and cultural diversity within is another important factor which is contributing to have presence of high inequalities. It has also been found from studios that presence of high health inequalities have resulted in many kinds of problems within individuals.
Most common problems which individuals face due to inequalities are depression, and often it is found that they show symptoms of suicidal. Not having access to proper health care services affects their mental health to great extents and they develop certain mental health problems which become difficult to cure. Health inequalities based on race and ethnicity has been in existence from past and are significantly affecting overall development of an economy.
It has been found from studies that individuals often have high potentials within themselves for contributing towards economy in a highly positive way. Not having access to proper health services blocks them from contributing in a productive way towards economy which in turn reduces both their income generation capacities as well as increasing revenue generation of overall economy.
According to Bentley (2020), ethnic minority groups are provided with very low access to primary health care services as a result of which they are ones who show patterns of poor health. There is a presence of high health inequalities between ethnic minority and white groups of England.
Covid 19 had a very bad impact on ethnic minority communities and they were ones who reported presence of high rates of infections. Mortality rate was around 95 % within minority communities which was also high compared to white populations (Ons, 2021). Geographical locations, presence of deprivation and low occupancy, poor living arrangements posed as greatest contributor of spread of infections within minority communities.
According to Niedzwiedz et al. (2020), constant presence of deprivation, environmental and health related behaviors were main causes of ill health’s which were affecting people of low minority communities to a significant level. Ethnic minority groups are also largely affected by socio economic deprivation which is considerably very high and applies to every ethnic group present within society of the UK.
Covid 19 has highlighted need for shedding light on inequalities and has also urged for provisioning urgent attention so that ill health of low minority groups can be prevented. It has been found from studies that people belonging to lower ethnic minority groups have shown tendencies of long term illness affecting their health. Disability free life expectancy is very poor amongst people of lower ethic groups compared to other groups present within the society of the UK (Bywaters et al. 2020).
On comparing during afte covid 19 it was found that life expectancy at birth of both males and females in ethnic groups were found to be very low compared to that of other groups. Covid 19 has drastically reduced mortality rate of individuals of minority ethnic groups within Scotland which is a serious threat on part of their health. Government of UK is constantly steps after Covid 19 badly impacted its economy for improving ethnic societies which is present within its societies.
Another impact which is greatly impacting health of individuals within minority ethnic groups is increase of cardiovascular diseases. It is a leading cause of death nationally within ethnic minority groups. 24% of deaths were results of cardiovascular diseases present within minority groups during 2019 (Ons, 2021). It is an important contributor for introducing health inequalities in life expectancies and also posing as an important risk factor within an individual.
Cardiovascular diseases have increased sharply after Covid 19 within ethnic minority groups. It is found that almost 80% premature death of infants is due to impact of cardiovascular diseases which were preventable in nature. Studies which were conducted within UK shows that there was a presence of high mortality rates within individuals due to cardiovascular diseases within low ethnic groups compared to other groups (Morgan et al. 2017).
It was found that people belonging to low ethnic groups were less aware of having good health and often it was found that body mass index levels were very high. Presence of high level of body mass index resulted in attraction of cardiovascular diseases easily as a result of which mortality rates increased.
Another reason Covid 19 badly affecting health of ethnic groups was that they were suffering from high rates of diabetes which was present within themselves. Presence of high diabetes within an individual leads to several complications and often turning fatal in nature.
Overweight, abdominal obesity and lack of interest in physical activities contributed to high health risks within an individual. It is found from studies that around 40,000 people present within ethnic societies of UK are currently suffering from diabetes (Bambra et al. 2020). It was also found from studies that presence of diabetes within minority groups was three times higher compared to those of other groups.
This increase in diabetes can also be attributed to not having proper access to healthcare services and they are not even aware how to take care of their health. Another important reason for increase in diabetes was found to be presence of high tension within individuals of low ethnic groups. This presence of tension was due to low incomes, lack of proper education and also inequalities they constantly faced from societies.
An inequality due to prejudice and conservativeness existing among communities has been seen in healthcare access for people from different ethnic communities. Individuals from black ethnicity have faced discrimination from white communities around the world which has also impacted their overall health and wellbeing.
Their community has long been shunned from mainstream society which has reduced their access to proper treatment and facilities to improve their social and economic status. Discrimination existing in both public and private spheres for these individuals has resulted in fear and uncertainty resulting in loss of confidence and rising mental illnesses. According to Nazroo, Bhui and Rhodes (2020), ethnic inequalities have raised the tendency of suicides, due to severe mental illnesses and depression of these individuals.
The psychosis of these individuals has been affected due to institutional racism faced in different spheres for these individuals. This has been highlighted with greater risk of facing physical and mental illness of Black communities than other while groups arising from social insecurity. There has also been an impact on access to healthcare due to existing prejudices and lack of financial status of these individuals having a broader implication for these communities’ overall wellbeing.
Persisting prejudices among the larger community against the Black African and Caribbean have also increased their risks of facing violence which significantly translates to their psychosis and access to care. These disparities have also been observed in times of Covid pandemic, in aspects of access to proper sanitation, hygienic shelter, access to nutrition for people from ethnic minorities or other migrants.
According to Bentley (2020), social deprivation of ethnic minorities has resulted in higher mortality rates in times of Covid pandemic. In addition to this, their economic and financial status has also been aggravated due to loss of jobs and livelihood in times of lockdown restrictions. Effective treatment and proper nutrition needed to meet their needs in building resilience against the virus have not been met which has increased their vulnerability.
These communities were worst affected due to their overall backwards social and economic resilience in times of Covid. Provision of receiving quality healthcare has often been dictated by an individual’s ethnic and cultural background (Platt and Warwick, 2020). This unequal division of classes and background of an individual in receiving access to proper healthcare is resulted from prejudice or ignorance of the State.
Owning up to the responsibility for providing health care and treatment for free or at subsidized rates can be seen as a measure which is often reversed during execution due to an unfair system. Social differences which have resulted in mental and physical trauma for these individuals have also been witnessed due to existing racism. Differences in health status among individuals coming from different backgrounds are also resulting due to lack of subsequent education on people management and equal treatment for healthcare providers, which have resulted in conscious or subconscious racism (Nuru-Jeter et al. 2018).
This generates an unequal system where health resources such as effective medicine or awareness is not accessible to individuals belonging to backwards social and economic classes. Individuals receiving unfair treatment can be directly affected due to this which can translate into significant loss of their health condition and well being along with impacting their physical, mental and overall welfare of backward ethnic communities
Reason behind inequalities and impact
A systematic oppression of ethnic minorities with specific racial discriminations faced by the Black communities has been existent which has significantly influenced their roles and standards of living. These discriminations and social biases have forced these communities and outcaste them from public spheres which has influenced their social and economic strata.
Racism has acted as a psychological stressor for these individuals which have influenced their developmental trajectories along with their behavioral attributes both in public and private spheres for these individuals (Sibrava et al. 2019). Presence of taboo relating to traditions and customs coupled with lack of awareness among the larger section of the society has induced significant attitude issues amongst children from these minority sections.
Many have shown behaviors with ‘whitewash’ of their customs in order to blend into the mainstream society. This has resulted in development of conflicting personalities raising mental and psychological issues among these children. Effect of severe racism faced by these individuals has also impacted their confidence and hindered their individuality (Joseph and Keating, 2021). Existing social disparities originating from ethnic discrimination has also resulted in leasing of their individuality and their emotional and physical wellbeing.
Psychological stress due to consistent racism faced in various spheres has also reflected in increased suicide ideation, due to mental trauma faced by these individuals. A very common effect of racism among children can be witnessed with an increase in Attention Deficit and Hyperactive Disorder along with other behavioral problems (Assari and Caldwell, 2019).
These individuals often also develop signs of illness and lead a poor quality life. School or college dropouts due to prominent bullying often push them to do odd jobs or join illegal activities to make a living. Increased crime rates and illegal dealings of black individuals can be seen as a sign of this systematic oppression and lack of proper access to welfare opportunities, coupled with bullying and humiliation in public spheres.
This in turn originates another stereotypical mentality which can be seen in media portrayals of black individuals in crime or drug dealings. Lack of proper job opportunities has also been a significant reason for their plight in sustaining class stratifications (Jilke, Van Dooren and Rys, 2018). This increases their vulnerability to health diseases, both physical and mental. Discriminations faced by ethnic minorities in receiving proper healthcare facilities also degrade their quality of life, decreasing their life expectancy.
This can also be observed as a historic exploitation against the ethnic minorities which has increased their vulnerability to violence. In the study of Thersa.org (2021), it has been reflected that 50% of black respondents have experienced discrimination in accessibility to public services. In comparison to this, it can be witnessed that the population has faced a total of 19% of respondents submitting to facing discrimination in public services.
These imbalances in receiving and accessing public services can extensively impact wellbeing of minorities such as the Black communities and impact their overall health and development factors.
Another significant impact of systematic oppression and racism coupled with lack of appropriate opportunities have reflected in less representation of these communities in public administrative roles. It comes as a blow to receiving proper access and representation of needs of these communities within various public spheres generating ignorance and continued suppression for these communities.
Lack of diversity in representation of ethnic minorities has reflected in minority communities feeling their voice remaining unheard which has increased their resistance against public authorities and government. Law violations of these ethnic minorities have also witnessed strongest punishments compared to white majorities.
In a report by Statista.com (2021), it has been recorded that amongst 9.9 thousand black prisoners were currently present in custody in England and Wales’s 6.4 thousand Asian prisoners. This can be registered in light of their consistent lack of opportunities available to these ethnic groups. Lack of representation of ethnic minorities can also be observed within the UK parliament.
This significantly impacts the development of policies along with attitudes of service provisions and empowerment opportunities for these communities, pushing them towards backward classes. In addition to this, ethnic and racial minorities have also experienced a rise in violence from white conservatives which has impacted in their overall physiological as well as psychological wellbeing (Korous, Causadias and Casper, 2017).
Implications due to increased atrocities against the black communities have impacted their expressions and individual development along with them facing vulnerabilities during crisis situations.
Persisting prejudices among the larger community against ethnic minorities along with lack of tolerance increases their risks of facing violence which significantly translates to their psychosis and access to care. These healthcare related inequalities faced by people from ethnic minority communities can be seen as significant attacks on their personal and public lives from mainstream prejudices, among other instances.
The financial backwardness often presented by these communities has resulted due to lack of effective access to education as well as proper job opportunities (Derous, Pepermans and Ryan, 2017). In addition to this, it can also be witnessed that there is a lack of proper execution with equal treatment opportunities for workers and other professionals with implications in all walks of life due to existing prejudices and conservative thinking existent within people.
Lack of proper job roles and opportunities and biases by employers in selecting people from these communities have also been witnessed. This results in overall poor job roles for individuals who reflects in their poor standard of living and unhygienic conditions, causing vulnerabilities to health.
Government Policies and Interventions Aimed at Reducing Inequalities
Racial biases and discriminations have been existent since colonial times where black ethnic communities were treated as lesser than humans, belonging to inferior strata. Institutional interventions in reducing ethnic and racial disparities are crucial initiatives which can help in developing an equal society with equal access to healthcare facilities for all.
These changes with the UN Charter, prohibiting all forms of racial discriminaiton were an initial step to form a equal state with a promise for developing welfare nations in the benefit of its people. Social changes in access to proper education and upliftment perspectives have also been changed with the advent of these social policies which have been aimed in ratification against racism.
The UN Charter contained a human rights declaration in equal protection and treatment before law in accordance with Article 19 providing fundamental freedom and rights to all individuals (Ohchr.org, 2021). This international document was a significant step towards elimination of apartheid and other racially discriminative approaches by nations which was initiated by declaration granting independence of colonies.
This Charter of UN guaranteed space of ethnic minorities and equal treatment and space in public spheres along with provision and access to equal opportunities for these individuals.
This has also been taken forwards by nations in enacting laws and social policies in promotion of an equal society. Human rights principles along with other equality based policies have been brought forward by UK, with its initial steps taken during 1965, with the Race Relations Act, 1965 (Narayan, 2019). The Race Relations Act implemented that any form of discrimination against race, colour, ethnic and national origins of individuals was prohibited with provision of penalties in public spaces.
This enactment brought a major change in perspectives for provision and treatment of ethnic minorities in public spaces with the aim of improving their quality of standards in their lifestyle. This Act was later amended in 1968 to bring changes primarily focused in the direction of provision of equal job opportunities, access to education, nutrition, among others for aiding in empowerment of backward ethnic communities and banning racism in public arenas.
This was a major shift in view and wellbeing of communities with increased access and opportunities to rise and lead an equal life (Byrne et al. 2020). Public opinion and view of racism was also changed where politics was integrated and leaders were induced to enact changes to increase welfare opportunities for black communities. Strict penalties affected the way black minorities were treated in public spaces with communities rising against any forms of racial or ethnic discriminations.
Receiving public service along with opportunities in job spheres was also impacted due to this policy which provided increased access for immigrants and ethnic minorities living within UK. Discriminations within housing, employment and advertising related issues faced by ethnic minorities in UK were addressed in this law. As influenced by Alexander (2018), this social policy was a significant improvement from poor laws to improve the overall well being of all individuals living in UK.
Racism prevalent within public spaces was criticized by many due to its lack of creation of effective health policies to improve overall well being for these people. The Race Relations Amendment Act, 2000 was developed in view of providing increased health services delivering a liability on NHS (Harmon, 2019). This amendment was brought in view of delivering a comprehensive developmental opportunity for individuals form ethnic minorities.
This also led the way for development of the Equality Act, 2010 was inspired and derived as a culmination of previous laws along with positive social influences providing protection and care for backwards communities for receiving free and fair treatment at public healthcare organizations. It can be well identified that these social policies have significant influence changes and overall wellbeing for racial minorities.
Conclusion
In this present study, a detailed discussion has been made on social and healthcare inequalities faced by ethnic minorities. In light of the discussion made in this study, it has been observed that ethnic minorities such as the black communities as well as Asian communities have faced significant setbacks. These issues have impacted on their overall wellbeing as well as their development opportunities for these communities.
Racism and systematic oppression against these communities have impacted their overall growth along with increasing their risks of suffering from illnesses. Psychological stressors are also impacted due to this discrimination faced by individuals in public spheres, which increases their vulnerability towards facing mental illnesses. Suicidal tendencies have also been noticed due to increase in racially discriminative approaches of the larger society.
This study has also discussed various amendments brought in order to improve the situations and positions and empower these ethnic minorities. Change in policies along with proper implementation of these social policies with effective education and awareness is significantly important in alleviating racial biases in public spheres.
In addition to this, the study has also highlighted a comprehensive approach in providing healthcare and social care for these minority communities. In addition to this, provision of policies for increased opportunities in developmental aspects is essential for improving social and economic standards of living for these communities.
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