The provision of primary care interventions by community health support workers in Pakistan

Abstract

Skill mix and role redesign have changed the face of the primary care workforce in the UK in recent years. In areas with minority ethnic communities, support workers with language skills and cultural knowledge have been employed to provide health care. Although this role is relatively new to the UK, countries like Pakistan have a long history of employing community support workers. This study seeks to learn from Pakistan's experience and apply the learning to the UK context. The findings from this study suggest that the support worker role in Pakistan is highly effective when training and adequate supervision is given and when the support worker is entrusted with a considerable degree of freedom to act. It was also observed that the same role might be highly effective in one context, but less so in another, which indicates the importance of exploring a range of factors that may affect outcomes. The study provided an invaluable opportunity to gain a better understanding of the health care system in Pakistan. This may assist in the development of services in the UK to improve primary health care, particularly for those who experience barriers in accessing services.