‘ Vulnerable migrants and wellbeing study ’ highlights barriers to healthcare for migrants

A pilot study by the University of Birmingham has identified major barriers to healthcare access for migrants, including denial of entitlements, administrative issues, lack of understanding, language barriers and fears of being arrested. Funded by the Nuffield Foundation, the ‘Vulnerable migrants and wellbeing’ pilot study, is led by Dr Laurence Lessard-Phillips from the Institute for Research into Superdiversity (IRiS).   The team investigated gaps in knowledge regarding the relationship between vulnerability and wellbeing, by analysing six years of data provided by Doctors of the World UK , a registered charity that provides medical care and support to excluded people.   Most of the service users of Doctors of the World faced vulnerability and had difficulties accessing the NHS and other statutory services. The principal aim of this project was to build an evidence base to study the wellbeing status of migrants living in the UK who experience vulnerability, and explore factors that may contribute to shaping this.   Key findings of the study are:  Access to healthcare is a major issue for service users, with large numbers reporting that they did not even attempt to access healthcare. When service users who are not registered with a GP seek to access care, they tended to use Accident and Emergency and Walk-in Centres.  The most frequently mentioned barriers to healthcare access include administrative issues, lack of understanding, language barriers,...
Source: Doctors of the World News - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Tags: Uncategorised Source Type: news