Ethnic disparities in health and health care: a focused review of the evidence and selected examples of good practice: Executive summary

This report (the full document and summary) arises from a project commissioned by the Department of Health’s Equality and Human Rights Group to produce an evidence-based review with a national perspective that addresses (i) ethnic differentials in health and healthcare and (ii) evidence of effective NHS and other action, including selective examples of good practice to illustrate each area. Rather than aiming for comprehensive coverage, the Department suggested a document that focuses on selective topics and population health priorities drawn from the NHS Plan, existing and developing National Service Frameworks, and other policy documents and which, collectively, are encompassed in the NHS’s 10-point Race Equality Action Plan. We were not asked to review the evidence on other key areas (such as hypertension, stroke, disability, etc.), ethnic disparities in the wider determinants of health, and on some specific groups such as gypsy travellers and refugees and asylum seekers. Some of these topics are covered in other recent reviews.