More than half of Brits claim they have been treated 'differently' by the NHS due to their race, gender, age and even location. The survey, conducted by Specialist legal firm Bolt Burdon Kemp, found that 53% said they received a 'different' healthcare experience due to these factors.
Of those questioned, more than eight out of ten 16-24-year-olds (85%) feel they are treated differently to other people. On the opposite end of the spectrum, seven out of ten (68%) of 55+ year olds say they are treated the same as anyone else.
A higher proportion of men (58%) feel that they are treated differently to other patients compared to women (48%). More than half of people in London (61%) believe that they are treated differently to other patients – the highest rate of any city in the UK.
This is in contrast with Newcastle, where almost two-thirds of people (59%) feel that they are treated the same as any other patient. When quizzed about whether white British patients are treated better than people from other backgrounds in a healthcare setting, one in ten (10%) agreed.
Of those quizzed in the survey of 2,000 Brits, a third (32%) of mixed descent (white and black African) and mixed descent (white and Asian) feel that white Brits are treated better than other ethnicities. Meanwhile, 29% of black Caribbean respondents and 22% of Pakistani believe white Brits are treated better.
90% of those quizzed said they weren't told of certain conditions that are more prevalent in people from their ethnic background. Seven out of ten black men (70% of black African men and 77% of black Caribbean men) say they haven't been informed of their increased risk of prostate cancer recently.
Prostate cancer affects one in four black men over a lifetime average, compared to just one in eight in the wider community.
Roughly one in seven people (14%) would happily pay more tax to improve the NHS's ability to provide an equal healthcare outcome for all ethnic groups.
More than a third of British residents of Pakistani descent (34%) would willingly contribute more if it would help the NHS provide an equal healthcare outcome for all ethnic groups.
This was closely followed by people who are black Caribbean (23%), 20% of those of mixed descent (white and black African), white Irish and Indian (both 19%).
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The survey revealed substantial numbers feel the medical treatment they received over the past 12 months has been different due to their background - whether this is age, gender, ethnicity, or otherwise.
Solicitors at Bolt Burdon Kemp recently worked with a woman who felt that her negative healthcare experience was partially due to her ethnic background.
She suffered with a cervical disc prolapse for more than six years and was left unable to walk, with significant sensory problems, and was experiencing neuropathic pain in all four limbs by the time she was eventually diagnosed.
Her GP surgery continually told her that all she needed to do was to lose weight and carry out some physio exercises.
The woman felt that being black and speaking with an African accent, meant that her health concerns were taken less seriously than other patients' might have been.
The woman, who doesn't wish to be named, said: "I couldn't understand why my concerns weren't being taken seriously.
"I now know that I was right and that my situation was critical, and I needed urgent medical attention but at the time I was treated like I was not worth listening to.
"My white friend couldn't understand why I wouldn't point out what was happening was as a result of racial bias.
"But I felt that suggesting that someone might be treating you differently because you are black normally makes things worse, so I was stuck.
"I know that I would have been taken seriously if I was white and spoke with an English accent."
Tom Lax, associate solicitor in the Spinal Injury team at Bolt Burdon Kemp, said: "Naturally, we want to see equality in patient experience and outcome for UK residents no matter their ethnicity, age, gender or location.
"Everybody, no matter what their background, should have their health concerns taken seriously.
"A number of conditions and diseases are much more prevalent in people from certain backgrounds and we believe that more needs to be done to increase awareness so lives can be saved - something that was highlighted in our findings.
"We're encouraged by the possible areas of improvement that have been highlighted by the data and are hopeful that awareness around conditions such as prostate cancer will continue to grow.
"We hope our study has highlighted the disparity in healthcare experience among UK adults and are keen to see this narrow in the coming years.
"A key positive that is worth highlighting, is that overall public trust in the NHS remains very strong.
"Even with the NHS under enormous stress, the most recent figures show that more than eight out of ten people (83%) reported having a positive experience when last visiting their GP."
NHS England said it was for The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to comment on.
The Department of Health and Social Care said it was for NHS England to comment on.
