Black History Month opens eyes on health disparities

Black History Month 2024 is a reminder, if one was needed, of the unique health challenges and considerations that Black employees may face. 

 

Every employee is different, but Black people are more prone to certain health conditions for a whole host of reasons. The Black History Month 2024 theme is 'Reclaiming Narratives' with its aim to embrace, educate, and empower through the stories that shape collective identity. 

 

As a healthcare organisation, we naturally turn attention to health, and the different factors that we and employers need to understand when planning health services as well as commissioning employee benefits. We uncover a wealth of health inequalities for Black people, and knowing how these may have arisen will give us all valuable knowledge in helping HR managers and business owners commission the most appropriate employee health services for everyone. 

 

We found the following reports that can provide employers with much food for thought 

 

Black adults in the UK are at higher risk for conditions like hypertension and diabetes, often developing these at younger ages than other ethnic groups. 

Reference: NHS Digital. "Health Survey for England 2017: Adult health related behaviours."  

 

Black adults in the UK have the lowest treatment rate for mental health issues of any ethnic group, at 6% compared to 13% for White British adults. 

Reference: NHS Digital. "Mental Health and Wellbeing in England, Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey 2014."  

 

Black people in the UK often report poorer experiences with healthcare services compared to white patients, including feeling less respected or receiving lower-quality care. 

Reference: Public Health England. "Beyond the Data: Understanding the Impact of COVID-19 on BAME Communities."  

 

Black employees in the UK are more likely to report being negatively impacted by job stress, which can compound existing health disparities. 

Reference: City Mental Health Alliance and Lloyds Banking Group. "Mental Health and Race At Work Research Report."  

 

45% of Black employees in the UK report experiencing racism at work, which negatively impacts their mental health and overall wellbeing. 

Reference: City Mental Health Alliance and Lloyds Banking Group. "Mental Health and Race At Work Research Report."  

 

Traditional health services in the UK may not adequately meet the needs of Black patients, highlighting the importance of providing access to culturally competent healthcare resources. 

Reference: NHS Race and Health Observatory. "Ethnic Inequalities in Healthcare: A Rapid Evidence Review."  

 

As well as the links above, there is a lot of background and resources throughout the Black History Month website which provide an insight into the experiences of Black people and theire relationship with healthcare. 

 

We encourage all employers to spend some time going through the site and taking a look at their own organisations through different lenses. Is there an equitable access to employee health checks and assessments? Do employment policies reflect different needs and a variety of perspectives? 

 

As a country, we can only get better at tackling health inequalities if we understand and respond to different needs.