What strategies can I implement in my practice to identify and address health inequalities among my patients?

Strategies to identify and address health inequalities in your practice include:

• Systematic identification: Routinely search your practice databases to identify patients who have missed appointments or not collected repeat prescriptions, focusing on those from disadvantaged groups, and proactively contact them to understand and address barriers to care ³.
• Facilitate access: Provide support such as help with transport, postal reminders, home visits, and flexible appointment times to enable disadvantaged patients to attend and engage with services ³.
• Use health equity audits: Conduct audits by linking patient data with deprivation indices to assess whether your services reach disadvantaged populations effectively and identify areas for improvement ³.
• Community engagement: Work collaboratively with local communities and voluntary organisations to identify barriers to involvement, especially for vulnerable, marginalised, or isolated groups, and tailor communication methods to their needs, including non-digital formats and accessible information ².
• Support peer and lay roles: Involve community members and peers with lived experience to support patients, motivate engagement, and co-produce services that reflect local needs ²,¹.
• Care navigation: Implement or link with care navigators or case workers who help patients overcome complex health and social care system barriers, particularly for those experiencing homelessness or social disadvantage ¹.
• Provide low-threshold and outreach services: Offer services with minimal eligibility criteria and bring care to patients in their environments, such as through outreach teams or mobile clinics, to reach those who might not otherwise engage ¹.
• Address social determinants: Recognise and act on the wider conditions affecting health, such as housing, employment, and social inclusion, by collaborating with multidisciplinary teams and community resources ¹,².