Understanding the diverse health needs of Chinese people in Britain and developing cultural sensitive services

Abstract

• Summary: This article aims to examine the diverse health needs of Chinese people in Britain and explore how the understanding of this diversity contributes to the development of culturally sensitive services. Two arguments are highlighted. First, it is undoubtedly insensitive to impose mainstream health services on ethnic minority groups, such as Chinese people in Britain, as it neglects to accommodate the heritage that they want to uphold. Second, it may be equally insensitive to take for granted the fact that all members of ethnic minority groups prefer to organize their health according to their heritage. • Findings: A better understanding of the diverse preferences for health services of ethnic minority groups in general and Chinese people’s in particular would help health professionals to organize and deliver their services in a more culturally sensitive manner. The article has three main parts. The first part examines the importance of cultural sensitivity practices in health services. The second part explores the diverse health needs of Chinese people in Britain. The last part introduces two analytical tools, namely the culturagram and Titterton’s paradigm for welfare. • Applications: By applying these tools to four cases, the discussion shows how they contribute to the understanding of the diverse health needs of Chinese people and the development of culturally sensitive services.