NHS to investigate health inequalities among Jewish communities for first time

The NHS will investigate health inequalities affecting Jewish communities for the first time.

Low immunisations, high Covid-19 rates and heightened breast cancer risks are among some of the disproportionate well-being issues faced by these groups and will be examined through a year-long review commissioned by the NHS Race and Health Observatory.

Potential barriers and “blind spots”, combined with a broad lack of understanding of specific needs, can mean adequate healthcare is not always tailored accordingly.

Organisations with the capacity to help scrutinise the national health service are being encouraged to submit proposals to examine how it engages with Jewish communities, the methods used to deliver key public health messages and potential barriers in distributing health messages around areas including vaccinations, healthy eating, wellbeing and exercise.

Dr Habib Naqvi, Director of the NHS Race and Health Observatory, said: “Deeper understanding is needed into why inequalities are continuing to persist for the Jewish population.

“There is clear evidence that culturally sensitive, tailored engagement and communication, delivered through the correct platforms, can yield positive results with increased access to health services and better health outcomes.

“This work will enable us to take another step towards ensuring healthcare services and interventions do not leave any of our communities behind.”

The review and its recommendations will take into account how mental health needs are addressed; as part of the review, the observatory will work closely with the NHS Jewish Staff Network.

The probe will also consider how guidelines and policies aimed at Jewish communities, which have twice the number of people aged over 60 compared to the general population, are implemented.

Professor David Katz, executive chair of the Jewish Medical Association, welcomed the review, saying: “The pandemic not only highlighted inequalities but also demonstrated that for interventions to be effective they need to be both evidence-based and community-based.”

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According to a study by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, the UK’s Orthodox Jewish community experienced high incidences of Covid-19 infection in 2020.

Data also shows that one in 40 Ashkenazi Jewish women have the BRCA gene mutation which can raise the risk of getting breast cancer at a younger age, along with ovarian and other cancers. Research also found that men with BRCA mutations developed eight times as many cancers as would be expected in the general UK population.

The observatory’s recently published rapid evidence review of Ethnic Inequalities in Healthcare found “a consistent theme was women’s experiences of negative interactions, stereotyping, disrespect, discrimination and cultural insensitivity”.

The final report, due to be published on 29 March 2024, will include evidence-based recommendations for action and highlight promising approaches where NHS health providers already lead the way with tailored information, engagement strategies and guidance on how to best care for patients from Jewish backgrounds.

The research will also consider the impact of communications in areas including hospital food for patients, experience and impact of antisemitism from staff, patients or members of the public; and challenges in making use of trusted sources of health information from within the community.

Applications to lead this work are being collated until 18 November via tenderbids@nhsrho.org.

It comes days after The Independent revealed that the NHS will investigate racial inequalities affecting sickle cell patients for the first time.