ABSTRACT
Critical care areas in many cities are increasingly caring for significant numbers of people from minority ethnic groups. Evidence from Census 2001 (https://www.statistics.gov.uk 2003) shows that 7.9 per cent of the UK population is from minority ethnic groups, although the proportion is much higher in certain areas. There is evidence of poorer health among this group, with excesses of heart
disease and stroke, and a high incidence of diabetes and mental ill-health (Nazroo 1997). There is some evidence that people from minority ethnic groups have difficulty accessing and are less satisfied with their GP (Rudat, 1994). There is also evidence of lower rates of referral for investigation or for surgery (Shaukat et al., 1997). Many of these problems result in crises for the individual and ultimately in the need for high dependency care. Despite this, there is an absence of research on the needs of people from minority ethnic groups in critical care settings.
