Agenda item

Report attached to be presented by Gerald Tompkins and Matt Liddle

The Board received a presentation on the work to produce a BME Needs Assessment, this work was requested in September 2016 and the report provided to the Board is an interim report to provide an update.  A working group was established, however, capacity has been an issue.  Whilst some local authority level data is available, the group have been reliant on national data.  The group was in contact with the Diversity Forum and set up some focus groups to gather views.

There is a statutory duty in relation to the BME community to have their needs included in the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment.  Data has shown that BME communities have been growing over the past 20 years.  Data also shows that BME communities are living in the most deprived areas of the Borough. 

Some of the key findings of the assessment have shown the following:

·         The prevalence of long term conditions such as type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease and stroke is up to 6 times higher (and they occur from a younger age) in the BME population.

·         In addition, these groups progress from being at-risk to being diagnosed with these conditions at twice the rate of the white population.

·         Tackling the issues will help tackle health inequalities, and satisfy public sector obligations under the Equality Act 2010.

Public Health Issues or Determinants of Ill health

·         The evidence confirms that Asian, black African and African-Caribbean and other minority ethnic groups are at an equivalent risk of diabetes, other health conditions or mortality at a lower BMI measurement than the White European population.

·         Focus group participants had mixed knowledge of diabetes and health checks.  Some knew about diabetesas it was common in their country of origin, others did not understand the condition.

·         Cancer is emerging as an important issue for South Asians, it is important that they have access to information about cancer, including methods of prevention through lifestyle, diet and how to spot symptoms early.

·         Data could be gathered from local cancer registers, hospital Episode statistics, public health observatories and local cancer networks

·         Further work is required to meet the screening needs of this population e.g. collect and analyse data on the rate of oropharyngeal cancers, note of any demographic patterns

·         Further work with local South Asian communities to understand how to make services more accessible e.g. if smokeless tobacco cessation services are provided within existing mainstream tobacco cessation services

Key recommendations of the assessment are as follows:

·         NICE and other sources highlight the need to raise awareness for BMI measurement and thresholds that can be used for recognising risk as a trigger for intervention

·         Extend the use of lower BMI thresholds to trigger action to prevent type 2 diabetes among black African and African-Caribbean and Asian populations

·         Ensure practitioners are aware that members of black, Asian and other minority ethnic groups are at an increased risk of chronic health conditions at a lower BMI

·         Ensure member of black, Asian and other minority ethnic groups are aware that they face an increased risk of chronic health conditions at a lower BMI than the white population (below BMI 25kg/m2)

·         Use existing local black and other minority ethnic information networks to disseminate information on the increased risks these groups face at a lower BMI

·         Use family based educational intervention as a means of building on existing beliefs, attitude and behaviours, with a community based word of mouth approach.

·         Local Authorities and their partner organisations ensure that services that they commission or provide include a focus on people from minority ethnicities and particularly within the 25-39 age groups.

·         Outreach services are important to encourage engagement with local services and provide information

·         Plan, design and coordinate activities to promote the uptake of HIV testing among local black African communities in line with NICE guidance on community engagement

·         Seek to develop trust and relationships between organisations, communities and people

·         Communities should be involved in all aspects of the plan which should take account of existing and past activities to address HIV and general sexual health issues among these communities

·         Promote accessible services to teach English as a second language

·         Consult families from BME communities about information in appropriate languages and ways of promoting to BME communities

·         Provide advocacy, translation and interpretation services for families from BME communities who require support during and health and social care pathways

·         Ensure service providers’ information on services is readily available in appropriate languages and is promoted to BME communities

·         Commission peer support forums for parents and carers from local BME communities and, where appropriate, tailored support services

·         Commission services that are accessible for local BME communities e.g. in appropriate locations and at appropriate times, e.g. promote stop smoking services to communities prior to Ramadan 

·         Ensure that the BME communities chapter of the Health and Wellbeing Board’s Joint Strategic Needs Assessment is updated to reflect the HNA and linked to all other chapters

·         It is recommended that the Health and Wellbeing Board members ensure that their respective organisations and organisations who they commission with are actively aware of their requirement to collect and analyse data across workforce and delivery areas in their performance measurements and monitoring

RESOLVED -   (i)    That the information contained in the report be noted.

                          (ii)   that an analysis of primary care data is undertaken to investigate important risk profiles for this population

                          (iii)  that an action plan be developed to propose solutions to ensure BME communities receive important messages regarding access to appropriate services

                          (iv)  that the action plan be implemented in appropriate ways to ensure solutions to the issues and recommendations as set out in the Health Needs Assessment