Inequalities and Multiple Discrimination in Access to and Quality of Healthcare
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doi:10 This FRA report looks at multiple .2811/17523 Country codes discrimination with regard to certain minority groups. AT Austria BG Bulgaria CZ Czech Republic TK-31-12-170-EN-C EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS DK Denmark EE Estonia EQUALITY FI Finland FRA HR Croatia HELPING TO MAKE FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS A REALITY FOR EVERYONE IN THE EUROPEAN UNION HU Hungary IT Italy PL Poland PT Portugal Inequalities and multiple discrimination in access to and quality of healthcare and quality of to in access and multiple discrimination Inequalities Certain people are seen as particularly vulnerable to unequal treatment, because they share a combination of SE Sweden characteristics that may trigger discrimination. A Roma woman sterilised without her informed consent, for SI Slovenia example, has suffered discrimination not just because of her sex, as all women do not face this treatment, UK United Kingdom nor just because she is Roma, as Roma men may not face this treatment. The discriminatory treatment is based specifically on the intersection of her sex and ethnic origin. Although awareness of this phenomenon of multiple discrimination is on the rise, EU law has yet to adequately address it. Current EU law provides better protection against discrimination based on race and sex than on grounds of religion or belief, disability, age or sexual discrimination, making it difficult to tackle multiple discrimination. This research project aims to shed light on the experience of multiple discrimination in healthcare. It looks at how ‘multiple’ discrimination is legally addressed and examines relevant case law with a special focus on healthcare. It also explores healthcare users’ and professionals’ views and experiences on how people of different gender, age, disability and ethnic origin experience discrimination and multiple discrimination when accessing the health system. It found respondents had experienced unequal or unfair treatment in relation to access to and quality of healthcare, discusses a number of barriers they face and points to possible improvements. Inequalities and multiple discrimination in access to This report addresses matters related to and quality of healthcare human dignity (Article 1), non-discrimination (Article 21) and healthcare (Article 35) falling under the Chapters I ‘Dignity’, III ‘Equality’ and IV ‘Solidarity’ of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. The FRA highlights the chapters of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights by using the following colour code: Dignity FRA - EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS Freedoms Schwarzenbergplatz 11 – 1040 Vienna – Austria Equality Tel. +43 158030-0 – Fax +43 158030-699 fra.europa.eu – [email protected] Solidarity facebook.com/fundamentalrights Citizens’ rights linkedin.com/company/eu-fundamental-rights-agency EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS twitter.com/EURightsAgency Justice doi:10 This FRA report looks at multiple .2811/17523 Country codes discrimination with regard to certain European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights minority groups. AT Austria BG Bulgaria Inequalities and multiple discrimination in access to and quality of healthcare CZ Czech Republic TK-31-12-170-EN-C 2013 — 114 p. — 21 × 29.7 cm EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS DK Denmark EE Estonia ISBN 978-92-9239-022-8 doi:10.2811/17523 EQUALITY FI Finland FRA HR Croatia A great deal of information on the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights is available on the Internet. It can be accessed through the FRA website at fra.europa.eu. HELPING TO MAKE FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS A REALITY FOR EVERYONE IN THE EUROPEAN UNION HU Hungary IT Italy PL Poland PT Portugal Inequalities and multiple discrimination in access to and quality of healthcare and quality of to in access and multiple discrimination Inequalities Certain people are seen as particularly vulnerable to unequal treatment, because they share a combination of SE Sweden characteristics that may trigger discrimination. A Roma woman sterilised without her informed consent, for SI Slovenia Europe Direct is a service to help you find answers example, has suffered discrimination not just because of her sex, as all women do not face this treatment, UK United Kingdom to your questions about the European Union. nor just because she is Roma, as Roma men may not face this treatment. The discriminatory treatment is based specifically on the intersection of her sex and ethnic origin. Although awareness of this phenomenon of Freephone number (*): multiple discrimination is on the rise, EU law has yet to adequately address it. Current EU law provides better 00 800 6 7 8 9 10 11 protection against discrimination based on race and sex than on grounds of religion or belief, disability, age or (*) Certain mobile telephone operators do not allow access to 00 800 numbers or these calls may be billed. sexual discrimination, making it difficult to tackle multiple discrimination. This research project aims to shed light on the experience of multiple discrimination in healthcare. It looks at how ‘multiple’ discrimination is legally addressed and examines relevant case law with a special focus on healthcare. It also explores healthcare users’ and professionals’ views and experiences on how people of different gender, age, disability and ethnic origin experience discrimination and multiple discrimination when accessing the health system. It found respondents had experienced unequal or unfair treatment in relation to access to and quality of healthcare, discusses a number of barriers they face and points to possible improvements. Inequalities and multiple discrimination in access to Photo (cover & inside): Shutterstock® This report addresses matters related to More information on the European Union is available on the Internet (http://europa.eu). and quality of healthcare human dignity (Article 1), non-discrimination (Article 21) and healthcare (Article 35) falling FRA – European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights under the Chapters I ‘Dignity’, III ‘Equality’ Schwarzenbergplatz 11 – 1040 Vienna – Austria HOW TO OBTAIN EU PUBLICATIONS and IV ‘Solidarity’ of the Charter of Tel. +43 158030-0 – Fax +43 158030-699 Email: [email protected] – fra.europa.eu Fundamental Rights of the European Union. Free publications: • via EU Bookshop (http://bookshop.europa.eu); Cataloguing data can be found at the end of this publication. The FRA highlights the chapters of the • at the European Union’s representations or delegations. You can obtain their contact details on the Internet (http://ec.europa.eu) or by sending a fax to +352 2929-42758. EU Charter of Fundamental Rights by using Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2013 the following colour code: Priced publications: Dignity ISBN 978-92-9239-022-8 • via EU Bookshop (http://bookshop.europa.eu). doi:10.2811/17523 FRA - EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS Freedoms Schwarzenbergplatz 11 – 1040 Vienna – Austria Priced subscriptions (e.g. annual series of the Official Journal of the European Union and Equality © European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, 2013 Tel. +43 158030-0 – Fax +43 158030-699 reports of cases before the Court of Justice of the European Union): Solidarity Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged. fra.europa.eu – [email protected] • via one of the sales agents of the Publications Office of the European Union facebook.com/fundamentalrights Citizens’ rights (http://publications.europa.eu/others/agents/index_en.htm). linkedin.com/company/eu-fundamental-rights-agency EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS Printed in Luxembourg twitter.com/EURightsAgency Justice Printed on process chlorine-free recycled paper (PCF) European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights Inequalities and multiple discrimination in access to and quality of healthcare 2013 — 114 p. — 21 × 29.7 cm ISBN 978-92-9239-022-8 doi:10.2811/17523 A great deal of information on the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights is available on the Internet. It can be accessed through the FRA website at fra.europa.eu. Europe Direct is a service to help you find answers to your questions about the European Union. Freephone number (*): 00 800 6 7 8 9 10 11 (*) Certain mobile telephone operators do not allow access to 00 800 numbers or these calls may be billed. Photo (cover & inside): Shutterstock® More information on the European Union is available on the Internet (http://europa.eu). FRA – European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights Schwarzenbergplatz 11 – 1040 Vienna – Austria HOW TO OBTAIN EU PUBLICATIONS Tel. +43 158030-0 – Fax +43 158030-699 Email: [email protected] – fra.europa.eu Free publications: • via EU Bookshop (http://bookshop.europa.eu); Cataloguing data can be found at the end of this publication. • at the European Union’s representations or delegations. You can obtain their contact details on the Internet (http://ec.europa.eu) or by sending a fax to +352 2929-42758. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2013 Priced publications: ISBN 978-92-9239-022-8 • via EU Bookshop (http://bookshop.europa.eu). doi:10.2811/17523 Priced subscriptions (e.g. annual series of the Official Journal of the European Union and © European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, 2013 reports of cases before the Court of Justice of the European Union): Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged. • via one of the sales agents of the Publications Office of the European Union (http://publications.europa.eu/others/agents/index_en.htm). Printed