Travellers Health Service
The Herefordshire Travellers' Health Project was set up to address the serious inequalities in health that exist in this community.Travellers in Herefordshire are made up of three main groups within the community:
- Traditional or Romany Travellers
- Irish Travellers
- New Travellers
These groups live in a variety of settings. Herefordshire also attracts a high number of migrant workers during the fruit-picking season.
These communities are mainly concentrated in the north of the county.
Estimates of community sizes vary and the numbers fluctuate, but the travelling community represents the largest minority ethnic group within Herefordshire.
As a group, health is worse than the indigenous population:
- Life expectancy is shorter
- Chronic disease is more common
- Rates of ischaemic heart disease are higher
- Depression is more likely
- Peri-natal and childhood health needs are higher
Low literacy rates among Irish and Roma Travellers and longstanding distrust of institutions and services have compounded the problem.
The Travellers' Health Project was established as a Personal Medical Service (PMS) to address these problems with funding for a first period of three years.
The Project heard in December 2003 that it had received continuity of funding.
The service aims to improve the community's health by:
- Taking advice and support to the communities
- Supporting individuals when dealing with institutions and agencies
- Working with others to give an all-round service
The Mobile Unit
Provides outreach clinics for health care, information and support to these communities. It visits a range of sites within the county as advertised by a pre-agreed timetable. Site visits are held on Tuesdays. For more information please contact the team on Hereford 01432 343166.
The team can help and advise on many aspects of providing care and support to the Travelling community. Referrals can be made by a third party or by travellers themselves by contacting the team on 01432 343166.
| Name | Position |
|---|---|
| Funding currently frozen | General Practitioner |
| Karen James | Lead Nurse |
| Helen White | Health Visitor |
| Sharon Nelder | Health Visitor Support Worker |
| Christina Fox | Admin Support |
| Unit | Telephone Number |
|---|---|
| Travellers Health Project | 01432 343166 |
| Mobile Unit | 07855 469930 |
| Karen James | 07813 104707 |
| Helen White | 07973 445653 |
| Sharon Nelder | 07970 491193 |
