The Role of English Language Skills in Health and Healthcare Inequalities

What is it about?

Researchers used anonymous records from GP practices and hospitals in Brent, a borough in north west London, to study people who were not proficient in English. The study found that people who were not proficient in English were more likely to have long-term health conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. They also used healthcare services more often, including both GP appointments and hospital care, than people who were fluent in English. The findings suggest that language barriers are linked to poorer health and greater healthcare needs.

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Photo by Uday Mittal on Unsplash

Photo by Uday Mittal on Unsplash

Why is it important?

More than one million people in the UK speak little or no English. However, there is limited information about how language barriers affect people's health and use of healthcare services. As far as we know, this is the first UK study to use a large, representative dataset to measure healthcare use among people with limited English proficiency. The study highlights the importance of improving language support across the healthcare system. This could start when patients register with a GP with better recording of language needs. Increasing access to interpretation services could help healthcare providers better understand and support people who do not speak English well.

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