英语论文网

Health Needs of the Chinese in Shropshire County and Telford & Wrekin
A report commissioned by Shropshire County Primary Care Trust

Chinese National Healthy Living Centre
April 2006 2
Executive Summary
Background
• In September 2005, Shropshire County Primary Care Trust (PCT) commissioned the
Chinese National Healthy Living Centre to carry out a health needs Assessment of the
Chinese population in Shropshire. One of the key drivers for this Assessment was the
fact that Chinese were the largest single ethnic minority group residing in Shropshire
County.
• Shropshire County PCT is responsible for primary and community care in the County
and also runs community hospitals and mental health services. The PCT also provides
services (e.g. mental health services) to people living in Telford & Wrekin. The Chinese
population count was 737 in Shropshire County and 542 in Telford & Wrekin in the 2001
Census.
• This health needs assessment presents the qualitative views and experiences of
Chinese residents of Shropshire County and Telford & Wrekin as users of health
services.
Findings and recommendations
• Language and health beliefs are major determinants of the way in which Chinese people
seek and use health care. Chinese view health as the ‘absence of illness’ and in this
setting, use of health services is reactive and sought only when needed. With the
additional constraint of language, Chinese people face inequities in access to peripheral
and preventative services.
• The Translation and Interpretation Services provided by Shropshire County PCT and the
Borough of Telford & Wrekin Council need to be more widely publicised, both within the
Chinese community and among service providers. Interpretation must be available in
both Cantonese and Mandarin.
• Access to services is inherently linked with access to information. For both new arrivals
to the country, such as students, and established residents, it is apparent that
information must be available in Chinese and widely accessible. Effective information
distribution channels need to be identified.
Flexible GP opening hours or Out-of-Hours services should be considered so that certain
groups within the Chinese community are not excluded.
• The PCT needs to develop a long-standing dialogue with the Chinese community, as
needs assessment is only useful if continually updated. Mechanisms must be developed
to reach and engage with the community so that their needs are taken into account when
planning and delivering services.
• A bilingual linkworker should be employed to develop and support local networks and to
deliver health Education and health promotion programmes. These programmes must
take into account the nature and lifestyles of the local population and reach those who
are most disadvantaged.
• The feasibility of expanding the geographical and functional remit of the Chinese Cultural
Centre in Telford should be investigated. The Centre could assume a direct role in
promoting better health by becoming a focal point for delivery of health information,
providing
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i) a Chinese-language health resource library
ii) health talks delivered in Chinese
Links with other Chinese organisations, e.g. Chinese National Healthy Living Centre
should be built so that good practice in developin本论文由英语论文网提供整理，提供论文代写，英语论文代写，代写论文，代写英语论文，代写留学生论文，代写英文论文，留学生论文代写相关核心关键词搜索。