Website of the Department of Health

This publication examines variations in the self-reported views of NHS patients from different ethnic groups across a range of healthcare settings, and the work was undertaken jointly by the Department of Health and the Healthcare Commission. Results include data from the national surveys of patients published by the Healthcare Commission up to and including 2006/07.

The key points from the latest release are:

• Results show a range of variations between black and minority ethnic (BME) groups and their white British counterparts. Where differences do exist, most are negative, indicating that BME groups are less likely to report a positive experience. But many areas show no difference and a few show a positive difference.
• Patients from the Asian and Chinese/Other groups were less likely to give positive responses.                                                                                                                           
• Results for Black patients were more mixed, although slightly less likely to give positive responses compared with the White British group.                                                          
• Patients from the White Irish group were more likely to give positive responses compared with the White British baseline, across many questions.
• BME groups tended to be less positive about questions relating to 'access and waiting' or to 'better information and more choice'.
• The largest number of differences were seen in the primary care and outpatient surveys. There were relatively few differences for results in the community mental health survey. This is consistent with previous HCC variations reports.

• Download the latest release in full (PDF, 380K)
• Further information on the patient experience PSA methodology and the national patient survey programme is available here