1234 About us East London Clinic Entitlement to healthcare Advocacy Summary.

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About us

East London Clinic

Entitlement to healthcare

Advocacy

Summary

About us

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Our Vision

A world in which vulnerable people affected by war, natural disasters,

disease, hunger, poverty or exclusion

get the healthcarethey need regardless of income or

status.

About us

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Médecins Du Monde Network

300 Projects

70 countries

3000 volunteers

About us

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Our Programmes

Conflict & Crisis Women & Girls People at risk of harm

Vulnerable migrants

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Our London Clinic

London clinic

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We help people excluded from healthcare including:• Undocumented migrants• People working in exploitative conditions• Refused asylum seekers• People who have been trafficked• Sex workers

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Vulnerablities in Health

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Living in the UK for an average of over 5 years before accessing healthcare

Less than 1% included ‘personal health reasons’ amongst their reasons for migration

94.1% not registered with a GP

54.8% perceived themselves to be in poor health

76.3% had reported violence in their lifetime

44.3% had no-one they could rely on for emotional support

90% live below the poverty line

75% of pregnant women accessing AC care later than recommended

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Our Patients

Bangladesh

IndiaUganda

Philippines

China

Nigeria

Vietnam

Afghanistan Pakistan

Ghana

Algeria

Sri Lanka

Bulgaria

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Entitlements to Care

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Entitlements to healthcareEntitlement to Primary Care

All GP’s have the discretion to accept or refuse any person as an NHS patient (but they must not discriminate).

There are currently NO regulations regarding charging/eligibility.

Therefore: • Immigration status & ordinary residence are

irrelevant when registering with GP.• No legislation or statutory guidance suggests people

must be resident for a minimum length of time or have a visa in order to access primary care

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Entitlements to healthcareEntitlement to Secondary Care

Department of Health regulations restrict free access for overseas visitors where an overseas visitor is someone who is not considered ‘ordinarily resident’.

Immediately necessary and urgent treatment must be given, regardless of someone’s eligibility to care or their ability to pay.

Exceptions include:• Asylum seekers and Refugees• Survivors of trafficking (NRM only)• Children in care of LA’s• EEA Nationals• Certain visas• Treatment for infectious diseases• Sectioning under the Mental Health Act

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Advocacy

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The documented effects of crisis and austerity throughout Europe

Impact on women’s and children’s health

Policies based on fear and intolerance instead of evidence based policies

Some positive changes in national policies, rare and all the more noteworthy

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Immigration Bill

•£200 health levy on non-EEA migrants

•Restrictions around who is entitled to secondary care – only ILR

Department of Health proposed changes – from 2015

•Charging migrants for A+E

•Restricting certain aspects of Primary Care (but not GP/nurse consultations)

Also – the Home Office are proposing that data sharing should enable people’s NHS numbers to be matched with their HO records – potentially legalising immigration enforcement action when someone accesses healthcare

UK Immigration Act &Department of Health migrant and visitor cost recovery plan

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‘The government should:

• consider setting up triage clinics

• impose blanket exemptions for children who need NHS care

• establish a principle of one-way information sharing

• educate the administrators

• impose a rolling impact assessment’

Demos

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What has changed?

Surcharge and exemptions

EHIC card

Immediatley Necessary and Urgent Treatment must always be provided

Primary care remains free for all

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What has changed?

Consultation in the autumn ‘Deprioritised’

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How You Can Help

How You Can Help

Collect evidencehttp://

doctorsoftheworld.org.uk/Speak out

Volunteer

Spread the word

How You Can Help

Like US

Follow @DOTW_UK

Share Our Videos

Thank You

Details:

Doctorsoftheworld.org.uk@DOTW_UK

Contacts: Phil Murwill, UK Programme [email protected]

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020 70789 629