ETHNIC minority communities in Dorset are being invited to take part in research about health inequality.

The research, which is being carried out by Dorset Race Equality Council, is supported by grant funding from NHS England and is working with partners across the health and care system in Dorset.

Nathalie Sherring, chief officer of Dorset Race Equality Council said: “We have worked really hard over the last few months with our colleagues from Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group and Public Health Dorset to ensure that people from different ethnic backgrounds received and understood all the accurate information about the Covid 19 vaccine and had the opportunity to raise their concerns and fears and we are delighted to have been able to do so.

"However, there are a lot more issues and health inequalities to tackle and we know that this piece of research will be invaluable in providing answers that, in time, will enable healthcare providers to reduce those inequalities. So, I would be very grateful if people could help us by answering the questionnaire and/or taking part in the interviews.”

Data from Dorset NHS Clinical Commissioning Group suggests that certain ethnic groups demonstrate higher than average levels of hesitancy in their uptake of the Covid-19 vaccines. These groups include Black Africans, Bulgarians, Chinese, Indian/ Indian-British, Polish and Romanian people living in Dorset.

These residents are less likely to be vaccinated than people of other ethnicities living in Dorset, according to data collected locally.

The council says: "Through our research we hope to explore why this is the case and whether these individuals are also facing more general barriers to accessing preventative healthcare services. The insights gathered into the barriers experienced by people taking part and their views on how they could be overcome will be used to inform recommendations to the wider health and care system. A final report on the findings and recommendations for service improvements can be expected towards the end of the year."

If you are a Dorset resident from one of the ethnic groups listed above you can take part in the research and have your say by completing the nine minute survey at surveymonkey.co.uk/r/HGTDYGH

The council are also recruiting for a small number of interviewees who have not been vaccinated against Covid-19. Interview participants will each receive a £10 voucher in appreciation of their contribution. If you are interested, please contact jane.jones@dorsetrec.org.uk for more details.