First West Yorkshire Inclusion Health Unit Meeting

Following on from face-to-face events late last year, we held the first online meeting of the West Yorkshire Inclusion Health Unit on Thursday 11 January. The unit is a strategic group which aims to unite partnership organisations so together we can progress collective priorities, share best practice, learning and resources, and deliver effective change on inclusion health across West Yorkshire.

Inclusion health is used to describe people who are socially excluded, who typically experience multiple interacting risk factors for poor health, such as stigma, discrimination, poverty, violence, and complex trauma. People in inclusion health groups tend to have poorer experiences of healthcare services because of barriers created by service design. People in inclusion health groups include: those experiencing homelessness, drug and alcohol dependence or who are seeking sanctuary, Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller communities, people in contact with the justice system, victims of modern slavery and sex workers.

West Yorkshire’s Inclusivity Champion Fatima Khan-Shah is the senior responsible officer for the unit. There will be opportunities for colleagues currently working or interested in inclusion health to join a community of practice which will run alongside the unit.