THE HEALTH-CARE NEEDS OF ETHNIC-MINORITY GROUPS - ARE NURSES AND INDIVIDUALS PLAYING THEIR PART

The UKCC Code of Professional Conduct for nurses, midwives and health visitors stresses the need to have an understanding of the social and cultural determinants of health and illness. There is as yet little ev idence of what might constitute good practice in this area and it is d ifficult to ascertain why this basic philosophy is not translated into action. Indeed, the nursing and midwifery professions' ability to del iver adequate and appropriate health care more generally to Britain's multiracial, multicultural population has been questioned. This litera ture review presents evidence which strongly suggests that although we are living in a multicultural society patients from minority ethnic g roups are additionally disadvantaged because the initiatives by nurses , and others working in the National Health Service, to meet their hea lth care needs are inadequate and often inappropriate.