We contributed to a research project on providing equitable and accessible care and support for people with a terminal illness. This is a key challenge for policymakers, service planners, commissioners and care providers.
As part of our commitment to meet this challenge, we were involved in a major intelligence gathering project with Public Health England and Kings College London on how to better cater to the needs of minoritised communities. This research informs a 2013 report – Palliative and end of life care for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic groups in the UK. It provides an evidence-base to understand the profile of specific minoritised ethnic populations living in the UK and identifies their unmet needs regarding care for people living with a terminal illness.
Palliative and end of life care for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic groups in the UK
The full report provides a deeper understanding of the nation’s changing demographics, the needs of individual ethnic and cultural groups, and the types of services which will best meet their end of life needs.
‘Next steps’ report
In January 2014, we produced a ‘Next steps’ report to follow up on this research. Launched at a Parliamentary event on 15 January 2014, it includes detailed recommendations for how health and social care commissioners and providers should incorporate the needs of people from minoritised ethnic backgrounds in how they plan and deliver services. It also calls on NHS England to take the lead on this issue.
This paper identifies a number of actions for Marie Curie and other stakeholders to help us take forward our work with Black, Asian and other minoritised ethnic communities. We will continue to work with partner organisations and stakeholders to take forward these actions and then report back on progress.
