A new health record for the Gypsy and Traveller community is being launched this week in East Sussex (30 June 2010).
The Personal Adult Health Record for Gypsies and Travellers has been developed by the local NHS (see Notes for editors) with input from people from the Gypsy and Traveller community.
The Health Record is similar to the ‘red book’ used for children.
It is kept by the individual and taken with them whenever they access health services.
As well as providing an easy to use, accurate record of the person’s continuing health, including details of their medication and immunisations, it will also encourage the gypsy and traveller community to think about their health needs and be active in seeking information and support when they need it.
It is also hoped that the record will give the community more confidence in talking to health care professionals because it is ‘owned’ by the person themselves.
To complement the health records, a training programme has been provided to local NHS staff, as well as local GPs, to raise awareness of the health needs and culture of the gypsy and traveller community.
The aim of this is to make health services easier for this community to use and so begin to improve their health.
Research shows that the health of Gypsies and Travellers is considerably poorer than the general population.
In fact, this community experience the worst health inequalities of any ethnic minority group in the UK.
Gypsies and Travellers can have difficulty in getting the appropriate healthcare they require because some of the community choose a nomadic lifestyle, and because NHS systems sometimes do not fit easily with Gypsy and Traveller culture.
Fran Edmunds is the project lead for NHS Hastings and Rother who have developed the new health record and staff training.
She said:
“Our hope is that both the community and health professionals embrace this new record to help improve the long term health of this disadvantaged community.
Community members have played a key role in the development of this record and will continue to be a vital part of making it work in practice.”
The launch event at Hailsham East Community Centre will also celebrate the completion of a resource pack called ‘Rokkerin is Kushti’, produced by Alembic TV as an additional aspect of the project.
This was done in partnership with Gypsy and Traveller families in East Sussex and East Sussex County Council Children’s Services.
This new audio-visual resource for parents of 0 - 2 year olds aims to demonstrate and support parents in helping their child develop speech and language from the earliest days of their lives.
