A report by Healthwatch Kent in collaboration with Diversity House
The aim of the report was to see if we were able to identify any differences in the experience either geographically, culturally, or racially between individuals across the whole of Kent and those living in Swale. Using Healthwatch Kent’s data alongside the themes identified by Diversity House we have been able to compare Swale with the rest of Kent.
Below is a short excerpt from the introduction of the report, if you would like to read the report in its entirety then please click the button below to view and/or download.
Background
Diversity House are a charity which aims to promote community integration, re integration, social inclusion and cohesion within the Swale and Kent communities. Earlier this year, we attended a meeting where the CEO of Diversity House presented a research piece looking at the experiences of ten individuals from Swale who were trying to access primary care services. This research identified patient perceptions for poor healthcare access.
Studies have identified Swale as having the worst GP to patient ratio in the whole of the UK, with one GP for every 3,300 patients [1].
Here at Healthwatch Kent we are keen to explore opportunities to understand health inequalities experienced by people living in Kent. Healthwatch Kent defines a health inequality as something affecting people, or contributing to differences in health status between groups of people, and can be observed between populations and groups within populations.