Western influence on the lives of the Chinese population living in Northern Ireland has generated a wide acceptance of Western medicine. However some individuals may still prefer traditional medicine.  Despite the acceptance of Western medicine research has confirmed that there is a poor uptake of medical services by the Chinese community here.

The simple explanation for this poor uptake of services has two inter-related features. One relates to the language barrier the Chinese encounter and the other to an institutional failure by service providers to administer a service which is accessible, accountable and appropriate to the needs of all members of society.

Most of the Chinese community in Northern Ireland come form rural areas in Hong Kong, and Hong Kong unlike Northern Ireland is not a Welfare state, and has no national Health service. As such we could expect that many of the immigrants from there to Northern Ireland, are unaware of the medical and health services available to them as well as their basic welfare entitlements. The consequence of the language barrier has made it difficult for the Chinese to access the health system. Or to understand the range of services available to them. Even when they have accessed the system they then face the hurdle of trying to communicate and be understood by health authorities.

Less than half of the Chinese community are registered with a GP, and those with very young children will have come into contact with health visitors. Few however will know about the range of other services, especially those relating to the elderly such as home helps, chilled meals, occupational therapists, chiropractors, district nurses and so on.

Language barrier aside, there are also institutional barriers which inhibit the easy access of the health and social service system. For minority ethnic people in Northern Ireland, Racism does not just involve Racist name-calling. But Racism can also be experienced in the denial 'inadvertently' or otherwise of access to a range of basic services, which should be theirs by right.

The political conflict in Northern Ireland has also had some impact on shaping the health system and in denying the development of an ethnically sensitive health and social care system. The consequence of the Sectarian divide in our society has meant that central funding has been provided for health research using the Catholic / Protestant religious affiliation as a variable, while similar funding for a major investigation of racial and ethnic factors relevant to health has not happened.

Very often health workers, albeit with the best of intentions, are much too concerned with being apolitical and providing a universal service to clients irrespective of their background, the effect of this has diverted attention away from potentially important health factors, associated with race and culture. The notion of a one standard of service to all may seem the best solution for avoiding sectarianism however it also creates an unwillingness to consider pluralism, including racial and cultural pluralism as a social dynamic relevant to health. If the provision of service is not accessible, accountable and appropriate it will have an adverse effect on the health and well being of the Chinese community.