Minority groups

The needs of minority groups need to be considered when delivering health care and identifying needs.  Understanding these differences enables healthcare and health promotion messages to be targeted appropriately.

See also our page on ethnicity.

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Our resources

Data and reports

Armed Forces and Veterans

The Armed Forces and Veteran Community Needs Assessment and technical report on Armed Forces and Veterans needs focuses on the needs of armed forces and veterans living in Kent. It looks at the Armed Forces Covenant, governance in Kent and Medway, and the support structures that connect various organisations.

As well as serving personnel, reservists and cadets, the assessment details the veteran population in Kent, which is over 52,000. Notably, 58% of these veterans are over 65 years old and live in the eastern coastal areas of Kent.

Healthwatch Kent and Medway conducted a survey of 115 veterans between November 2024 and February 2025. Findings show common challenges with GP access, amplified by veterans’ expectations of faster care. Mental health needs were seen as unique, with a preference for staff trained in military culture. Employment was linked to wellbeing, yet support post-discharge was lacking. Awareness of the Armed Forces Covenant and Veteran-Friendly accreditation exists, but expectations differ, suggesting a need for clearer communication. Nepalese and disabled veterans reported worse experiences, indicating inequalities that should be addressed through targeted, pre-emptive support. Access the full report from the Healthwatch website.

Multiple Complex Needs

In January 2026 we published a health needs assessment for Adults with multiple complex needs. It includes adults who are aged over 18 years and over and experiencing two or more disadvantaged domains of alcohol or substance misuse, mental health, homelessness, offending, and domestic violence.

Other work on minority groups includes a Community Offenders Health Needs Assessment (PDF, 1.6 MB) and a young offenders summary data update (PDF, 2.1 MB).

We have also produced a literature review on drug-reducing interventions for prison leavers.

Additionally, we have produced a Rough Sleepers Needs Assessment (PDF, 1.1 MB).

Information on Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities can be found on the ethnicity page.

External resources

The Office for Health Improvement and Disprarities has produced Inclusion Health datapacks for each Integrated Care System (ICS) in the South East. The version for Kent & Medway can be downloaded from the SE Clinical Network website.

The packs are intended to provide a one-off summary of available data and evidence for inclusion health groups in the South East region. They present an initial overview to support systems to understand need in their area and provide a resource including data and summaries that can be taken out and used as required, as well as be further developed by local Systems.​

In 2019, NHS England and NHS Improvement commissioned health and care needs assessments on three prisons: HMP Swaleside, HMYOI Cookham Wood and HMYOI Elmley. You can request the needs assessments on the prisons.

The following organisations produce statistics relating to minority groups and health.