Committees

Achieving better health outcomes for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities

18 April 2018

The Women and Equalities Committee holds its second evidence session on the health inequalities faced by Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT) communities.

Health inequalities examined

GRT communities have the poorest health outcomes of any ethnic groups, not only in the UK but internationally.

An ONS analysis of the 2011 Census (conducted in 2014) found that 14% of Gypsy/Travellers described their health as “bad” or “very bad”, more than twice as high as the White British group.

This session is likely to explore the most pressing health disparities in GRT communities, what the barriers are to achieving better health outcomes and what action the Government can take to overcome these.

Purpose of the session

The session is expected to focus on:

  • The structure of healthcare commissioning in England
  • How decisions are made on whether to commission services specialising in GRT support
  • The barriers that GRT patients have to good healthcare
  • What good practice exists and whether this can be replicated or rolled out more widely
  • What more needs to be done by government to improve health outcomes.

Witnesses

Wednesday 18 April 2018, Room 15, Palace of Westminster.

At 10.10am:

  • Michelle Gavin, Project Worker, Friends Families and Travellers
  • Szymon Glowacki, Mental Health Project Worker, Roma Support Group
  • Shaynie Larwood-Smith, Head Nurse, Gypsy Traveller Team, Cambridgeshire County Council
  • Dr Alison McFadden, Senior Research Fellow, School of Nursing and Health Sciences, University of Dundee

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Further information

Image: iStockphoto