Health Advocacy Project
This project was funded by the National Lottery Community Fund and ended in August 2025. However we have since secured new funding to continue this work, details of which you can read on our current projects page here.
Introduction:
Project outline:
The project is about helping BAME patients access NHS services in North West London.
We will achieve this by:
1. Training bilingual Health Advocates to help patients in their own language.
This help will include:
- registering with a GP and booking appointments
- arranging patient transport and interpreting
- communicating with health professionals
- getting diagnostic test and referrals to specialists
- accessing mental health services
- making complaints
2. Gathering evidence of issues and barriers patients face to help the NHS develop their services to improve access and outcomes.
The project is being delivered in partnership with 6 BME organisations to reach clients who have difficulties accessing NHS services, partly because of a language barrier. The service can be delivered in Arabic, Bengali, Farsi, French, Hindi, Lingala, Somali and Urdu .
Organisations delivering the project are:
- Al Hasaniya
- Ethiopian Women's Empowerment Group
- FAWA (French African Welfare Association
- Iranian Association
- Marylebone Bangladeshi Society
- Midaye Somali Development Network
