Shocking ethnic minority health inequalities revealed by study
Huge health inequalities in ethnic minorities, compared with white British people, have been revealed following England’s largest ever study of over-55s.
Huge health inequalities in ethnic minorities, compared with white British people, have been revealed following England’s largest ever study of over-55s.
The study, carried out by the University of Manchester, revealed an increased likelihood of people from some ethnic minority groups, particularly Asian groups, reporting poor experiences at their GP.
The authors of the study suggest this may indicate an unfairness within NHS services, which would worsen health inequalities in some ethnic minority groups.
Dr Ruth Watkinson, lead author from the University of Manchester, told The Manc: “We’re interested in health inequalities, particularly thinking about what kinds of health inequalities might be really relevant to the population here in Manchester.
“Compared to the whole of the UK there are more people [in Manchester] living in socially deprived neighbourhoods and a larger proportion of people from ethnic minority groups.”
People from almost all of the ethnic groups surveyed were considerably more likely to report insufficient help from their local services in managing their health conditions.
The lead author suggests there is much more attention brought to these disparities at the moment due to the disproportionate impact of COVID on ethnic minority groups.
Dr Watkinson added: “People try to explain these things away and say ‘well it’s genetic predisposition’ or ‘it’s behavioural differences’ but there’s no way that genetics links people of all those different ethnic minority groups.
“Terms like ‘BAME’ often mask the idea that these are very different groups of people, the only thing that links them is that they are racially ‘minoritised’ in this country because of systemic racism.”
Findings revealed the average health of 60 year olds from Gypsy or Irish traveller, Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Arab groups was similar to that of a typical 80 year old.
Other key findings included that older people from ethnic minority groups were more likely to report suffering from common long-term health conditions such as diabetes, or even having two or more conditions.
Additionally, older Bangladeshi women were around three times more likely to report poor experiences in comparison to older white British women.
Dr Watkinson stated: “The NHS as an institution is failing people from some ethnic groups. Policy action is needed to transform healthcare and wider support services to make sure they meet the needs of all individuals in England’s multi-ethnic population fairly.
“A lot of long-term chronic health conditions shouldn’t need to impact your quality of life but they often do if you’re not getting the healthcare that you need.
“Unfortunately our research is coming at a time when the government is stepping away from focusing on inequalities due to ethnicity. But I would hope ideally that the government would start to make ethinic equality absolutely fundamental across all parts of the public sector.
“If we made these problems so much more visible then we could identify targets and enforce change.”
The study was carried out by the University of Manchester / Image: Wikimedia Commons
Dr Watkinson also said that policy makers “need to address the structural racism” that makes it harder for people within ethnic minority groups to access socioeconomic opportunities.
Co-author Dr Alex Turner, said: “Researchers haven’t been able to research the health outcomes of people over 55 in ethnic minority groups, because they aren’t included in sufficient numbers in most datasets.
“And much official data doesn’t distinguish between groups, which can mask inequalities.
“But this study allowed us to analyse results for all 18 of the UK census ethnic groups separately, allowing us to see differences between them.”
It is clear that more data is needed to better understand what drives these health inequalities; and researchers suggest collecting info with more inclusion of people from ethnic minority groups is required.
*The study which was published in Lancet Public Health, used the England-wide GP Patient Surveys to analyse responses from nearly 1.4 million 55+ adults between 2015 and 2017. The sample included over 150,000 people who self-identified as belonging to an ethnic minority group.
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Burger King is giving away FREE vegan burgers to meat lovers to prove how ‘tasty’ they are
Emily Sergeant
Reckon you could swap out meat for a vegan alternative?
Now we know there’ll be droves of meat-lovers who read that question with their noses turned up, immediately dismissing the possibility that it would ever be something they’d consider… but what if we told you it was free?
That’s right – Burger King has announced that for the next week or so, it’ll be delivering its delicious Vegan Royale burgers to meat-loving customers for free, all with the aim of giving them a chance to experience just how tasty and satisfying plant-based foods can be, and prove that they won’t miss out by giving it a go.
The Vegan Royale is Burger King’s take on its legendary Chicken Royale burger, and sees a crispy vegan patty – that’s meant to be an alternative to chicken – topped with iceberg lettuce, vegan mayo, and crowned with a toasted sesame seed bun.
Burger King is giving away free vegan burgers to meat lovers to prove how ‘tasty’ they are / Credit: Burger King UK
The fast food chain‘s campaign is in partnership with The Vegetarian Butcher, and comes as shocking new research has revealed that more than 40% of meat eaters admit to having never tasted a plant-based burger.
On the other hand, that same research also found that the UK appears to eb embracing plant-based foods more than ever, as nearly 60% of the population say that are open to trying it.
67% of those who once thought plant-based food wasn’t for them say a great meat alternative burger was what changed their mind – so maybe this is what the Vegan Royale can be for you, if you’re willing to give it a chance.
So, to give hungry customers a taste of what the fuss is all about, Burger King will be offering anyone who orders on UberEats or Just Eat, with a minimum spend of £20, a Vegan Royale burger for free of charge along with the rest of their order.
But you’ll need to be quick though, as this tasty offer is only available until Tuesday 8 July.
Featured Image – Burger King UK
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The latest on Salford Red Devils financial situation as ‘winding-up’ petition is adjourned
Danny Jones
The current situation at Salford Red Devils is far from ideal, with the rugby league team currently owing hundreds of thousands of pounds in debt, not to mention facing further stress over finances with players owed wages, key personnel leaving and remaining uncertainty over future ownership.
So, why is the board expressing reassurance among supporters following the recent adjournment of a ‘winding-up’ petition, and what exactly does this mean?
It is no doubt a complex issue, but with the season concluding in October and the Greater Manchester club essentially being given a stay of execution, for lack of a better phrase, it’s possible that a corner could hopefully be turned soon.
Here’s everything we know so far about the situation in Salford and where the Red Devils’ finances are currently at.
Salford Red Devils’ finances and more – explained
For a start, they’re late on payroll again this month.
Salford Red Devils players have been told they will not receive their salaries today.https://t.co/ofHTR0uZyN
According to recent reports, Salford Red Devils owe more than half a million pounds to His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) at present, with current estimates said to be in the region of £600,000.
The Super League side has fallen into debt due to a number of factors: their own performance as a business, cuts to local funding and a period of spending in terms of recruitment and pre-season preparation under the assumption of a subsidy from Salford City Council (SCC).
However, this would-be uplift – despite it being promised late last year – never came as the Council (having already provided £315k in ‘immediate’ financial aid back in March 2024) U-turned on the decision after it was revealed further backing was not in the budget.
SCC ended up owing around £2 million itself after stepping in to save both SRD and fellow rugby league outfit Swinton Lions, handing out loans to both clubs even prior to purchasing Salford Community Stadium and the surrounding area.
The Council ultimately shelled out north of £7.7m to buy the ground and sever commercial ties with previous owners, Peel. They had hoped to further alleviate pressure on the club, but Salford Red Devils (SRD) had already spent the money they were expecting to receive on new players, training and more.
SRD were then told to sell off a number of players by the league.
With all this in mind, something called a ‘winding-up’ petition – basically a document sent by creditors that demands the immediate liquidation of a company/organisation that owes them money – was filed by HMRC back in May, with the tax authorities demanding payment of the outstanding sum.
However, special dispensation appears to have been made not only due to the complicated and unforeseen circumstances Salford have faced along the way, but also for the sake of the Rugby Football League (RFL) itself, with the Red Devils still seen as a valuable sporting and community asset.
One of those unexpected twists was the takeover by a new consortium led by Dario Berta, whose investment failed to clear in time and resulted in the club being hit with the financial sustainability problem that saw them cutbacks.
In a small bit of good fortune, it has now been decided that the petition to liquidate the SRD has been postponed, though not indefinitely.
As expected, there is good news that the winding-up petition filed by HMRC against Salford Red Devils has been successfully adjourned by the club's representatives in London until after the season has finished in September.
It's important to focus on supporting Salford as they…
— The Game Caller 🗣🎙📻 (@TheGameCaller) June 25, 2025
What could happen next?
The date for coughing up what debt they owe to the tax authorities has now been pushed back to September, meaning they have until then to find the finances, or else they could very well be made insolvent in a matter of months.
However, as per BBC Radio Manchester, those involved in the ongoing process are “confident” that bridging loans will be put in place over the coming days to keep HMRC at bay.
And, nevertheless, head coach Paul Rowley has insisted that he can see “green shoots” starting to emerge around the club, despite still sitting bottom of the table with just one win to their name.
What’s for sure is that the local area isn’t giving up on them, with numerous fundraisers and charity events being set up to help support the club via the official Salford Red Devils Foundation.
Fingers firmly crossed that there is light at the end of the tunnel.