Satisfaction with health services among the Pakistani population in Middlesbrough, England

Little is known about the quality of the health care available to ethnic minority groups. In the absence of empirical data, the National Health Service (NHS) is often criticized for failing to meet their needs. We assessed whether the Pakistani population in Middlesbrough used, and was satisfied with, a range of health services.

This was a cross-sectional survey of an age, sex and socio-economically stratified sample of Pakistani people. Data were collected by interview in the home.

Satisfaction among those who had used NHS services was high. For example, 94 per cent were satisfied with general practitioner (GP) care, 93 per cent with help from the GP receptionist, and 97 per cent with the care from hospital doctors. The most dissatisfaction was with casualty, and accident and emergency services (19 per cent), the care received from the nurses in hospital, and with information given about the condition or treatment (both 12 per cent). When services were not used, lack of knowledge or need, not dissatisfaction, was the dominant problem. Of 34 hospital patients, 19 were informed about 'Asian' meals. Sixty-five per cent (11 of 17) of those who had such meals were satisfied. Dissatisfaction was mainly because of taste and quality of food. Only three of 63 (5 per cent) hospital in- or out-patients were informed of the availability of a professional interpreter, and none used the service. Fifteen (four men and 11 women; 25 per cent) said they would have used the interpreting service if they had known of it.

Pakistani patients reported surprisingly high levels of satisfaction with health services. Policies on culturally sensitive meals and interpretation services, however, were not properly implemented. Locally, the findings are encouraging. Nationally, the message is that high levels of satisfaction with services among ethnic minority groups are potentially achievable.