09.09.11
Ethnic minorities unsatisfied with NHS
New research shows that minority ethnic patients are not satisfied with NHS primary care.
Patient experience surveys show consistent large and significant differences between the quality of care in people of different socioeconomic backgrounds, ethnicities and age, according to the study published online in BMJ Quality and Safety.
The data comes from the 2009 English General Practice Patient Survey, which had over two million respondents, focusing on a selection of 11 measures of satisfaction. Results showed that older people are significantly happier with their care than younger people.
Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Indian, and Chinese patients also reported significantly lower scores for their experiences of professional communication than did white British patients, with between 6 to 9 points difference on the scale. But black patients reported experiences that were similar to those of white British patients.
The researchers suggest differences in care provision could explain some of the ethnic differences, as some of these patients were clustered in practices generally known for low performance.
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