Inequalities in Access
Sociology: AQA A Level, topic 5.3.4
Disability and Access to Healthcare
Inequalities in access to healthcare concern themselves with whether or not people have equal opportunity to make use of the services they require and need or whether some are less effective than others in getting their need met.
Causes of inequality
- The ability to choose to access healthcare is dependent on a number of factors, including:
- The ability to recognise and accept that they have a health problem.
- A willingness to accept help from healthcare services.
- The accessibility of the required healthcare service.
- The presence of cultural barriers, including those created by gender socialisation, education, ethnicity, or lack of understanding by healthcare services of the needs of the patient.
Priority
- Many disabled people receive inadequate access to treatment or specialised equipment.
- Disabled people are seen as low priority with the NHS, in comparison to other patients.
Understanding
- Some healthcare professionals do not fully understand the needs of disabled people.
- GPs admit that they find it difficult to diagnose people with learning disabilities.
Travel difficulties
- Disabled people often have difficulties travelling to health centres and dentists and are, therefore, often excluded from routine treatment and check-ups.
Age and Access to Healthcare
Inequalities in access to healthcare concern themselves with whether or not people have equal opportunity to make use of the services they require and need or whether some are less effective than others in getting their need met.
Access
- Older people tend not to get the same access to healthcare services as younger people.
- Those older people who are most socially disadvantaged have particular problems accessing healthcare services.
Cultural factors
- There are cultural reasons for this, in that older people may feel that they are placing a burden on doctors and may not want to ‘bother them’.
- Older people may also play down their symptoms, dismissing them is a part of old age.
- Doctors may also under-diagnose older people, assuming that symptoms are consistent with the ageing process.
Ageism
- Ageism may also be a factor, in terms of stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination.
- Elderly care medicine is seen as lower status and priority and may lack the allocation of specialist staff.
Travel
- Older people often lack transport to access healthcare services.
Test yourself on Inequalities in Access
What is NOT a cause of inequality in healthcare for people with disabilities?
Which older people have particular problems accessing healthcare services?