Background: People experiencing health inequalities often face substantial barriers in accessing urgent care. Urgent care services include NHS 111, urgent treatment centres (UTCs), GP out-of-hours, urgent dental and sexual health services, and pharmacies. Health inequalities include individuals who experience physical and mental disabilities, learning disabilities, sensory differences (deafness or blindness), individuals in the LGBTQIA+ and Transgender community, non-English speakers, individuals experiencing homelessness, digital exclusion, rural populations, and individuals with alcohol or substance abuse. Barriers to urgent care can result in poorer health outcomes, inappropriate use of urgent and emergency services, and increased strain on health and social care systems.

Objective: This report aimed to examine how individuals experiencing health inequalities access urgent care services, and strategies that may help to increase access with a particular focus on the Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) sector.

Methodology: A scoping review was conducted using academic databases (e.g., MEDLINE, CINAHL, Scopus) and grey literature sources (e.g., Healthwatch, National Voices, NHS England, The King’s Fund). A total of 16 peer-reviewed papers and 16 grey literature reports were included. Data extraction and thematic analysis identified key themes and potential recommendations for increasing urgent care access among those experiencing health inequalities.

Key Findings:
• Barriers to access: Individuals with health inequalities face challenges accessing urgent care including digital exclusion, low health literacy, geographical isolation, language barriers, rigid or fragmented systems, and a lack of reasonable adjustments.
• Health inequalities and utilisation patterns: Many groups, including frail older adults, people with substance use disorders, those with dementia, and low-income communities, are more likely to use emergency departments rather than urgent care due to poor access to timely and appropriate urgent care.

Issues identified with current urgent care models:
• Fragmented and poorly coordinated services: Urgent care is often disconnected from primary and community services, leading to poor record sharing, patient navigation, triage challenges, and inappropriate emergency department use.
• Inflexible models that do not meet diverse needs: One-size-fits-all approaches fail to accommodate individual patient needs, especially for those facing language, communication, cultural, or socioeconomic barriers.
• Limited local adaptation: Services are not always informed by local data, resulting in gaps for populations that are underserved.
• Digital access inequities: While digital tools can improve access, they often result in digital exclusions for older adults, non-English speakers, and people with poor digital literacy.
• Lack of preventative planning: Patients often lack the tools and support to manage their own health, particularly those with chronic conditions or frequent urgent care users.
• Low health literacy and public awareness: Many patients and carers are unclear about when and how to use urgent care appropriately, due to limited education and public awareness on which services are appropriate to their care needs.

Conclusion :
The literature reinforces both anecdotal insights and evidence gathered from individuals and groups supporting those affected by health inequalities. Implementing the below recommendations could help improve access to urgent care and reduce pressure on emergency services.