Charlotte Williams, Joy Merrell, Janie Rance, Gillian Olumide, Roiyah Saltus, Kamila Hawthorne
Conceptual issues such as race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status and geographic location impact significantly on the level of access to information and on the utilisation, experience and satisfaction of health and social care provision. InWales, devolution has opened up new opportunities for assessing and addressing equality issues. In addition, policy shifts in Wales have led to a formalised amalgamation of health and social care policy making. It is within the context of these constitutional and policy changes that national research and support frameworks rooted in the health and social care needs of black and minority ethnic (BME) groups are being mapped. The aim of this paper is to detail one aspect of the findings of a scoping study conducted in 2005: the perceived priorities for and the challenges of improving the health and social care of black and minority ethnic (BME) groups in Wales. By reflecting on the main themes that emerged from the study, this paper offers a reflection on the national context within health and social care strategies for people from BME communities.
