Black women face the highest health inequalities in South London, study finds

New research has found considerable health inequalities among patients in South London.

The research by Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine at King’s College London shows almost half of Black Caribbean patients are living with more than one long term condition.

The research also revealed Black women face the highest disadvantage of long-term health conditions when compared to the general adult population.

As part of a wider study of multi-morbidity conditions – more than one long term condition – affecting patients in Lambeth and Southwark, 826,000 patients’ data was assessed.

The study found that 47 per cent of Black Caribbean patients had multi-morbidity conditions compared to 34 per cent of Black African patients and 31 per cent of White British patients. 

The most common conditions experienced were anxiety, chronic pain, depression, asthma and hypertension.

The study, conducted by researchers at King’s College London in association with Dr Hiten Dodhia, consultant in Public Health for Lambeth, found that Black women face the highest inequalities of long-term health conditions, having twice and in some cases three times the rate of long-term conditions compared to other patient groups.

Dr Mark Ashworth, Professor of Primary Care from King’s College London, said: “Our four-year study has looked at the experience of people living in the community and found high rates of illness attributable to Long Term Conditions (LTCs), but these rates are not spread evenly. 

“Patients with multi-morbidity are some of the most complex to manage in general practice. As a result, these patients need a large number of consultations each year, to keep their multiple Long Term Conditions under control. 

“Our findings suggest that the very communities most hard hit by Covid-19 are the same ones that have experienced years of long-term health problems because of LTCs. 

“Many of these conditions are preventable or can be alleviated and controlled using the expertise of local primary care.

 “Our team often said that without data, health inequalities are invisible, and that could not be more true when it comes to understanding local multi-morbidity patterns.”

Pictured top: Kings College London (Picture: Google Street View)