A new report into ethnicity and health has shown the West Midlands offers better care to ethnic communities than many other areas of the country - but still has many issues to address.
Most people use healthcare facilities across the region, a study by the Association for Public Health Observatories revealed a poor uptake of services by ethnic groups.
While the Ethnicity and Health report, published yesterday, reveals the region fares better than the rest of the country, many ethnic communities are more likely to report bad health.
Those from Pakistan and Bangladesh are more likely to die from heart disease, get diabetes, or have cataracts. Africans had a higher incidence of tuberculosis.
A national conference to discuss how the Government's health targets can be met in treating ethnic minority patients is being held at Bescot Stadium, Walsall, next month.
John Kemm, of West Midlands Public Health Observatory, said: "It's pleasing to see that the health service in the West Midlands has a good record for looking after patients from ethnic minorities and recruiting them into the NHS."
