Immigrants 'get more NHS services'

Jan 30 2013

Immigrants living in one of Scotland's poorest communities have access to more services to improve their health and wellbeing than "the indigenous population", MSPs have been told.

There is a perception that the NHS may be "ignoring the majority of the population" in Glasgow's deprived Govanhill, while "a lot of money" is spent on "a very small proportion of the community", the Public Audit Committee heard.

Committee members were taking evidence from frontline health workers in some of the poorest parts of the country, as they scrutinise the findings of an Audit Scotland report on health inequalities.

Elaine Egglestone, a health visitor at Govanhill Health Centre, said much more could be done with more staff and more money and identified gaps in provision.

"There is a feeling that we may be ignoring the majority of the population who are more likely to remain here, so we may actually be addressing health inequalities on behalf of other countries," she claimed.

"There is a small population within our community, the EU population, who have a massive amount of money spent on them. I believe that money comes from Europe. They have a high level of need, and that money is making a difference, but then they go back home."

She claimed: "There is a feeling in the community, there is a feeling from us as professionals, and also families that we visit, who will comment on how much is available locally within the centre of Govanhill. There is a community centre and there are lots of things run for the Eastern Europeans.

"There is very little run for the indigenous population, or the Asian population. There is a high Asian population but there is not nearly as much available for them."

Committee member James Dornan said: "I do know that more money was put in to deal with the unique circumstances, and they are unique in Govanhill, so I am not sure that that should impact on other people within the area."

Dr Linda de Caestecker, director of public health at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, said: "If we are truly going to tackle health inequalities ... we need that much broader approach. We need to look at a much more equitable distribution of wealth, resources and power across society."