A BRADFORD city centre pharmacy is reaching out to BAME communities by organising a health inequalities project aimed at getting people vaccinated for flu and Covid and giving vital blood pressure checks.
Rimmington's Pharmacy, based at Bridge Street, has been holding pop-up outreach clinics in various areas throughout the city centre over the last month.
They have been visiting centres of faith, community centres, markets and shopping centres, including Westgate and Hilton mosques, Redeemed Christian Church of God, Kirkgate and Oastler markets, The Broadway, Shapla Community and ISG Workforce. This Sunday they will go to Guru Gobind Singh Gurdwara.
Ayesha Siddique, Rimmington's vaccinator and lead on the health inequalities project, said: "We have started a project through NHS England to tackle inequalities in Bradford for vaccinations for flu and Covid.
"To date, we have managed to target key risk minorities and organise pop-up outreach clinics focusing on people who are most likely to fall under the inequality umbrella as well as securing a short-term vaccination site in a busy part of the city centre."
On outreach visits aimed at helping the Nigerian community, Ms Siddique spoke about how willing people were to get vaccinated.
"People are so willing to have their vaccinations," she said. "They just don't how to go about getting the vaccinations or they thought they had to pay."
When asked about visits to mosques, she said people were more reluctant.
She said: "When we've been to mosques, people are more knowledgeable about vaccinations but they've lost trust in the health service because they say they've too many jabs for Covid. Too many things have gone into their body.
"People have also lost their faith in flu jabs for some reason, but these are really important, particularly for the elderly.
"There's no short-term quick fix. It's about growing trust with people."
In addition to giving Covid and flu jabs as part of the project, Ms Siddique said they are giving blood pressure checks.
"A problem with blood pressure is a gateway to many illnesses such as heart attacks and strokes.
"At these clinics, we can refer people straight away to get the treatment they need.
"Some people we've met have said 'it's been years since I've had a blood pressure check'.
"These outreach clinics are the best opportunity to check as many people as we can.
"If we can save one person, that makes it all worthwhile."
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