Cultural Competence in the NHS: Adapting to Contemporary Demands of Diversity, Equality and Inclusion in UK Mental Health Services

Abstract

This article examines how the UK mental health services respond to current demands of diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI), and its implications for cultural competence in the NHS. The method of qualitative critical analysis and narrative policy review were adopted in examining relevant literature on cultural competence and mental health, together with important NHS frameworks such as the Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES), the Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework (PCREF)was adopted in examining relevant literature on cultural competence and mental health, together with important NHS frameworks such as the Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES), the Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework (PCREF), and the Advancing Mental Health Equalities Strategy. Findings reveals that while NHS initiatives have boosted accountability and general involvement, their impact is inhibited by numerous issues such as bumpy implementation of policies, insufficient or one-off cultural competency training, the under-representation of the minorities in administrative roles, higher rates of detention of patients from the minority ethnic groups and the priority given to Eurocentric model of treatments. The study recommends that student engagement with community, anti-racist or inequality frameworks together with culturally suitable therapy strategies are indispensable for adequate responds to DEI in UK mental health services.