New research by Healthwatch England (HWE) has found trauma can be a major barrier to seeking medical care.
People who have experienced a traumatic event can be reluctant to engage with health and care services, seek medical attention when they get unwell, and avoid vital check-ups.
Key findings
According to a nationally representative poll of 3,571 adults living in England, nearly a fifth, 18%, of respondents who have experienced trauma said they ‘very often’ or ‘fairly often’ avoid services because of their trauma. This figure is much higher for autistic people and people who have Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)/Attention deficit disorder (ADD): 41% and 37%, respectively.
People who have experienced trauma don’t feel comfortable disclosing the information to medical professionals:
- Over a third, 37%, of respondents who have experienced trauma, have never told a medical professional about it.
- Over a third, 35%, of those who have told a medical professional about their trauma found it uncomfortable.
- The main barrier to disclosing experiences of trauma was people not feeling comfortable talking about it to a medical professional.
- However, other issues are also apparent, such as a lack of confidence in explaining trauma, a lack of confidence in medical professionals handling it sensitively, and previous negative experiences of disclosing trauma.
Trauma is widespread
The UK Trauma Council defines trauma as: ‘the way that some distressing events are so extreme or intense that they overwhelm a person’s ability to cope, resulting in lasting negative impact’. A traumatic event can include being in an accident, experiencing an act of violence, and seeing someone die.
The HWE research provides further evidence that trauma is widespread. More than half, 55%, of respondents chose the statement “I have experienced trauma in the past”, and nearly one in 12, eight per cent, chose “I’m currently experiencing trauma.”
According to our estimates, this equates to about 25 million and 3.7 million adults living in England, respectively.
Women, autistic people and those who have ADHD were more likely to experience trauma. Around two-thirds, 67%, of female respondents said they had experienced a traumatic event, compared to 51% of male respondents.
The need for trauma cards
We have called for tangible solutions to help people who have experienced trauma engage with healthcare, including piloting trauma cards.
Our research follows a pilot project run by Healthwatch Essex in 2022, which made trauma cards available to local people to use during their NHS appointments. The pocket-sized card explains that the holder has experience of trauma and links to further resources to help provide sensitive, appropriate care.
The pilot was hugely successful, showing that a simple intervention can make it easier for people who have been through trauma to get the care they need.
Our polls shows that of the estimated 3.7 million people currently experiencing trauma, 43% would be likely to use a trauma card. Of the estimated 25 million people who have experienced trauma in the past, around one in three (30%) would be likely to use a trauma card. This equates to about 1.6 million people and 7.4 million people, respectively.
Laura’s story: “The trauma card has empowered me.”
Laura (not real name), 60, from Tendering, has suffered from anxiety about NHS appointments that involve personal examination due to non-recent trauma of sexual violence. This has led her to either cancelling, missing or leaving NHS appointments, including a cervical cancer screening. However, when she does attend a medical appointment, certain sounds and sights trigger memories, affecting her behaviour and relationship with healthcare staff.
She said: “I don’t take in information and will ask for information to be written or in leaflet forms to support this.”
Laura recently used the trauma cards developed by Healthwatch Essex for her personal examination. “The procedure was made easier by presenting the trauma card, and it made me feel more relaxed. It empowered me. This gives me hope that I will have a good experience again,” she said.
Healthwatch England’s call to action
HWE Chief Executive Louise Ansari said: “A traumatic event can lead to long-lasting health issues affecting a person’s quality of life. Our findings paint a very worrying picture, with one in five people avoiding healthcare because of their trauma.
“When people avoid healthcare, their condition can deteriorate, and their illness can last longer. But for vulnerable people, including those who have trauma, avoiding healthcare can lead to even greater impacts.
“The pilot project in Essex has shown trauma cards can improve experiences for people using health and care services, empowering them and facilitating communication with healthcare staff. With training and better awareness, trauma cards can become a helpful tool for both the patient and medical staff.
“We are calling for NHS England to support a national evaluative pilot of a trauma card initiative. People across England should be able to order a trauma card and have it delivered to them for free, along with an information sheet that clearly explains how and when they can use it. In the long term, and subject to the pilot results, a digital trauma card could be added the NHS App or smartphone wallets.”
Methodology
Estimated population figures calculated by Healthwatch England using the ONS figure for the adult population of England of 45,691,677. As this is a representative poll of adults in England, we can extrapolate population figures from the percentages.
About the poll
All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. The total sample size was 3571 England adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 3 – 4 October 2024. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all England adults (aged 18+).
