‘It’s a cultural thing’: excuses used by health professionals on providing inclusive care

Abstract

Although health services in Australia have an aim to provide inclusive care for their patients/clients, this study highlights how barriers to care can lie at the centre of patient-provider interactions. Racial microaggression is a subtle form of racism that can occur in health settings, leading to further exclusion for First Nations Australians, immigrants and refugees. This paper is guided by Derrida's approach to deconstructionism by unpacking how language is used by health professionals–as holders of organisational power–and how they construct ‘truths’ or discourses about clients that historically have been marginalised by health services and system. Data comprise 21 interviews with staff..