Understanding unintended health consequences of new safety legislation in fishing communities
A collaborative research project highlights how health and safety legislation has unintended health consequences for fishing communities, using their voices to shape future support and policy, demonstrating the need for community-based health promotion and prevention services.
Impact
- 30 fishers involved directly in research through lived experience interviews.
- Tackles health inequalities within the fishing community, a dangerous vocation that impacts significantly on health and lifestyle.
- Strengthens understanding among local health providers about the needs of fishing communities.
- Reduces harm to patients by identifying misunderstandings about medical conditions being recorded which result in delay or prevent care.
- Published a peer-reviewed paper in Fish and Fisheries highlighting this issue nationally.
Project summary
Health Innovation South West shaped and co-authored a research project with the University of Exeter and Public Health Cornwall, as part of NHS England’s Innovation for Healthcare Inequalities Programme, to highlight the lived experiences of Cornish fishing communities affected by recent health and safety changes. Published in Fish and Fisheries in August 2024, the research paper has provided valuable insight into how mandatory medical certification may discourage those in the fishing community from seeking care.
Fishing communities benefit from this research by enabling their voices to be heard and by informing policy and practice that reflect their particular circumstances, highlighting the need for trusted community-based outreach health services.
Rationale
Fishing remains the UK’s most dangerous occupation, with fatality rates 100 times higher than the national average.
The fishing community experiences some of the worst general health outcomes in the UK and faces significant barriers to accessing care, including geographic isolation and social norms.
Key stakeholders
- Health Innovation South West directed the project to a community that faces significant health inequalities within our region at a critical moment.
- University of Exeter (Rachel Turner) is the lead academic partner and co-author of the research.
- Public Health Cornwall and NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly provide insight and local context.
- Fishing communities are central to the research through interviews, focus groups and workshops.
Next steps
We have utilised additional funding from the University of Exeter to hold an engagement session with the fishing community and healthcare stakeholders to determine issues which affect this community.
Next steps will include the formation of a cross-organisational steering group to ensure that issues affecting this community are brought to the relevant forums using our local networks to strengthen the care that is provided for coastal communities.
We will look for opportunities to inform future policy and design more appropriate, supportive health interventions, as well as potential for collaboration on future outreach and preventative care programmes focused on trust-building and access.
I have spoken to several fishers now who are becoming so fearful of actually having any medical conditions treated because they don't want it on their record because they fear a mention of a medical condition on their record will restrict their ability to go to sea fishing.
Fisher, describing impact that medical certification is having on mental health
