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This blog post was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

https://nhscostrecovery.blog.gov.uk/2014/05/07/making-links-with-vulnerable-groups/

Making links with vulnerable groups

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Identifying and understanding the potential impact our work has on vulnerable groups is crucial. With this in mind, my colleague Joanna and I travelled to Birmingham which is fast becoming Europe’s most mixed city – the population of West Birmingham already speaks over 200 languages, with newcomers arriving every day.

We first visited Sandwell and West Birmingham CCG, who are doing excellent work in a diverse and mixed community. The CCG crosses an upper tier boundary and spans one of the UK’s most ethnically diverse areas.

The CCG has made its top priority caring for the health and well-being of its most vulnerable population. It is a particular challenge, considering the backdrop of a constantly changing population with varied needs. People of every status live in the community, from long-term migrants on working visas to failed asylum seekers and those with no recourse to public funds.

Different rules with regard to charging apply to each of the different statuses and the CCG have concerns about how the changes we are bringing about may impact on an already confusing picture.

People often have a misunderstanding of which NHS services they can use, and there is even evidence of groups who are already vulnerable being exploited further by irresponsible providers of so-called ‘private’ medical care.

It is our job to work with the networks which already exist in communities like Sandwell and Dudley to talk about the work we are doing, to the people who need to understand it the most.

In the afternoon, we visited the organisation Brushstrokes, who help vulnerable migrant groups access healthcare to which they’re entitled. The staff there gave us confidence that they were best equipped to get out and spread the word.

Understandably, many of the people who most need care mistrust those in positions of authority due to traumatic experiences in their home countries. That is where an organisation like Brushstrokes can step in and help them make sense of it all.

I left the visit convinced that we must use these precious links with the most vulnerable in society to understand the anxieties they face when accessing healthcare, how our programme needs to be sensitive to their needs and that we clearly explain who is entitled to what, depending on their status.

Working with organisations like Brushstrokes is crucial because we cannot reach vulnerable groups from the centre alone. The information that we need to provide for people will vary from group to group but it must remain clear and sensitive to their needs. So it’s through our work with organisations like Brushstrokes that we’ll be able to do our best to support those most in need.

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