Audit of referrals to a hospital palliative care team: role of the bilingual health-care worker.

There is much interest in whether the needs of ethnic minority patients are being met by palliative care services. Bradford has a population that includes people from several different ethnic minorities, the largest number of whom originate from Pakistan. In May 2000 a bilingual health-care worker (BHCW) was appointed to work with the local palliative care teams to improve service provision for patients from South Asia. An audit of referrals to Bradford teaching hospitals palliative care team from October 2001 to September 2002 looked at the role of the BHCW. It was found that the BHCW was involved in 41% of referrals from ethnic minorities. In addition to aiding communication, the BHCW also provided an important link between the community and the hospital for patients and had a role in bereavement and family support. This audit indicates the BHCW role can be successful and may be useful for other population groups.