Health Inequalities: Caring for Vulnerable Migrants
(work of Dr Ros Petrie, GP Fellow)
Numbers of vulnerable migrants, including Asylum Seekers, Refugees and undocumented migrants, are increasing across BSW. Some GP practices care specifically for groups of patients in hotels, but increasingly there are higher numbers of individuals and families being housed in accommodation across towns and cities who will register with a wider number of practices.
The 3 x 5 minute bitesize videos below look at the context of the population group, highlight specific health needs and challenges that they face, and inform actions that both individuals and practices can take to improve care to this population group.
Vulnerable Migrant Health Inequalities Training Part 1
Vulnerable Migrant Health Inequalities Training Part 2
Vulnerable Migrant Health Inequalities Training Part 3
Migrant Health Guide:
For a comprehensive guide to migrant healthcare please click here. This covers; access to healthcare, assessing and treating patients, vulnerable migrant groups, communicable diseases, outbreak management, non-communicable diseases and nutrition.
Quick Glance Resources:
- https://www.gov.uk/guidance/nhs-entitlements-migrant-health-guide
- The following video produced by Doctors of the World and Public Health England gives an overview of entitlement to health care.
- A reminder: ALL people living in the UK are entitled to access Primary Care, and proof of address, proof of identification and proof of residency or visa are NOT requirements to register.
- Doctors of the World provide resources and training for practices to adopt ‘Safe Surgery’ status and to support administrative and clinical staff to adopt practices that support vulnerable migrants
- Follow this link to find more details about becoming a Safe Surgery and adopting principles that ensure your practice is committed to supporting migrants in vulnerable circumstances: https://www.doctorsoftheworld.org.uk/safesurgeries/ and https://www.doctorsoftheworld.org.uk/safesurgeries/safe-surgeries-toolkit/
- Follow this link to Doctors of the World e-learning about improving access to Primary Care: Safe Surgeries e-Learning – improving access to primary care
- Follow specific links for
- Safe Surgeries toolkit
- Safe Surgeries new patient registration policy
- A quick reference poster for reception staff
- Resources for PCNs: plus a PCN Inclusion Health Assessment tool
- Resources for clinicians assessing whether secondary care may be urgent or immediately necessary (non-chargeable)
- Resources for commissioners and https://www.doctorsoftheworld.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Toolkit-for-ICBs-and-PC-commissioners-access-to-healthcare-for-asylum-accommodation-DOTW-2023.pdf
- Resources for social prescribers
- Posters for patient awareness
- Health Passport: GP registration transfer cards – providing patients with a record of their NHS number, personal details and preferred language for use when changing surgeries: NHS England » GP registration transfer cards
- Video explaining the NHS and how to access the most appropriate care. Available in Arabic, Amharic, Albanian, Bengali/ Bangla, Persian Dari, Persian Farsi, Kurdish Sorani, Pashto, Polish, Punjabi, Russian, Somali, Swahili, Tigriyani, Ukrainian, Urdu, Vietnamese. To access subtitles, play the video and click on settings – subtitles – select language from list.
- A language identification chart for reception staff
- Translated resources
- Infographic – navigating the NHS/How the NHS works (available in many different languages)
- Trifold leaflet in English – How the NHS works for migrants and refugees
- Doctors of the World New patient questionnaires
- General Information
- Disease specific information
- Tuberculosis
- Consider both active and latent TB infections
- Latent TB testing should be offered to 16-35 year olds who have arrived in England in the last 5 years and who were born or lived more than 6 months in sub-Saharan Africa or countries where TB incidence is more than 150 per 100,000 population
- See Tuberculosis (TB): migrant health guide for detailed information
- In Swindon, Latent TB testing is available from the Swindon Community TB Service provided by Carfax Health Enterprise CIC, from Great Western Surgery, Farriers Close, Swindon, SN1 2QU. Email: bswicb.tbnurses@nhs.net
- Blood borne viruses
- Consider screening for hepatitis B and C if from countries of higher prevalence than the UK, and HIV in men, women and children from countries of high prevalence (>1%)
- Hepatitis B
- Hepatitis C
- HIV
- Other
- Tuberculosis
- Mental Health
- Immunisations
- https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immunisation-migrant-health-guide
- Always ask new migrants about their vaccine history, assume patients are not immunised, unless they can give a clear reliable history, and transfer patients onto the UK schedule appropriate to age if part way through an immunisation schedule.
- Routine immunisations schedule
- International vs UK vaccination schedule comparison tool
- Immunisation Algorithm for vaccination of individuals of uncertain or incomplete vaccination status
- Migrant immunisation leaflets
- Moved to the UK: Get up-to-date with your vaccinations_2019206_English (publishing.service.gov.uk)
We journey together: resources for asylum seekers and refugees and those working with refugees and people in the asylum process: short videos documenting some of the realities faced by asylum seekers and refugees in this country.
