Collecting information about your ethnic group
Everyone belongs to an ethnic group so all our patients are being asked to describe what theirs is. By asking you about your ethnic group and collecting this information, we are helping the NHS to:
- Understand the needs of patients from different groups to help provide better and more appropriate services for you.
- Identify risk factors – some groups are more at risk of specific diseases and some groups have specific care needs. Ethnic group data can help us treat and support patients by alerting staff to high-risk groups.
- Improve public health by making sure that our services are reaching all our local communities and that we are delivering our services fairly to everyone who needs them.
- Comply with the law. The Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 gives public authorities a duty to promote race equality and good race relations and ethnic monitoring is important in making sure that race discrimination is not taking place.
The 16 ethnic groups used are standard categories for collecting ethnic group information. These are:
- A: White – British
- B: White – Irish
- C: White – Any other White background
- D: Mixed – White and Black Caribbean
- E: Mixed – White and Black African
- F: Mixed – White and Asian
- G: Mixed – Any other mixed background
- H: Asian or Asian British – Indian
- J: Asian or Asian British – Pakistani
- K: Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi
- L: Asian or Asian British – Any other Asian background
- M: Black or Black British – Caribbean
- N: Black or Black British – African
- P: Black or Black British – Any other Black background
- R: Other Ethnic Groups – Chinese
- S: Other Ethnic Groups – Any other ethnic group.
Using these codes will help us to compare information about the groups using our services with information from the census which tells us about our local population and the patients we see. The list of groups is designed to allow most people to identify themselves. The list is not intended to leave out any groups of people but to keep the collection of ethnic information simple.
It is important to us that you are able to describe your own ethnic group. If you need to complete any of the boxes labelled ‘any other group’ then please give some details so that we can better understand your needs.
By providing this information it will help us with the diagnosis and assessment of your needs and also to plan and improve our services.
Will you share this information?
The information you provide will be treated as part of your confidential NHS notes. The NHS has strict standards regarding data protection and your information will be carefully safeguarded. If you have any concerns or questions about this please email our Data Protection Officer at qvh.dataprotection@nhs.net You can also read our privacy notice here.
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