October 2026: Better Data, Better Health: Why Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Communities Must Be Counted

Health inequalities affecting Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish Traveller communities have been well documented for many years. Yet too often these communities remain invisible in health datasets, making it harder for health professionals, commissioners and policymakers to understand needs, target resources effectively and measure progress.

In October 2026, the Traveller Movement partnered with the London Borough of Brent to write to the Chief Medical Officer calling for a more consistent and disaggregated approach to ethnicity data collection across the health system. The letter highlights the need for health bodies, including the NHS, public health agencies and policymakers, to record Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish Traveller identities separately rather than grouping communities together or omitting them altogether.

Better data means better evidence. Better evidence leads to better policy, more effective services and greater accountability for tackling long-standing health inequalities.

Accurate and consistent ethnicity recording is not simply a technical issue. It is a crucial step towards ensuring that Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities are visible in decision-making and receive the attention their health outcomes demand.

You can read the full letter here