International journal of palliative nursing
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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. ⋯ 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.