How are health and inequality related? Our research into health outcomes

Organ donation

The United Kingdom has a varied total population of 63, 182, 178. This is made up of 87% White people with minority groups of Asian or Asian British people at 6.9%, Black or Black British at 3% and Mixed Multiple at 2% with Other Ethnic groups making up the 0.9% remainder. 2011 Census

Our research supports the drive to increase the availability of organ donations across the UK’s many diverse communities. This work began when we we were commissioned in 1995 by the King's Fund to undertake the UK’s first study of the views of South Asian communities on donation and transplant.

The work of the University of Bedfordshire's Organ Donation and Transplant Research Centre has informed Government guidelines which recognise the need to address faith and cultural issues for families and staff working in organ donation.

Our team works with the Department of Health, NHS Blood and Transplant, NICE and the House of Lords to improve equity in organ donation and transplantation.

Professor Gurch Randhawa’s research was used in the Transplant 2020 Strategy published in 2013 by the four UK Departments of Health.

Professor Randhawa is now Chairman of the Transplant 2020 Stakeholder Group. Part of his role includes engaging with various sectors - from business to education and health to voluntary – to promote conversations about organ donations.

This research has had a major impact on the needs of the UK’s multi-ethnic and multi-faith population. It has been used to create a curriculum of education, offered by NHS Blood and Transplant, for health professionals and specialist nurses in organ donation.

It has also impacted economically – the cost of keeping patients on dialysis is a lot higher than working with organ donors – and ultimately it has improved the lives of the patients that directly benefit from the changes implemented by this life-changing research.

Mental health

Dr Papadopoulos’ work on tackling stigma among people living with mental health is impacting upon policy and practice and is influencing increased multi-disciplinary working amongst practitioners.

Healthy lifestyles

Dr Bertha Ochieng’s research into the effect of kin and social networks support on wellbeing explored the attitudes and experiences of African-Caribbean adolescents and their families towards healthy lifestyles.

Through in-depth interviews she was able to gain an understanding of the perceived barriers that keep African-Caribbean adolescents away from healthy lifestyles.