Asylum seeker and refugee health care
Informal network of primary care professionals. Share news. Ask questions. Share best practice. Share information on language and other resources.
Events
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2 Day National Conference for Nurses & Health Visitors Working with Asylum Seekers & Refugees
5 March 2009 to 6 March 2009 (Day 1: 10.00 - 17.45, Day 2: 09.00 - 15.30), Park Inn York, YO1 6JF
This event is aimed at nurses and health visitors who currently work with asylum seekers and refugees, and is designed to provide atteendees with an opportunity to build on their clinical experience through key presentations, discussions and networking.
Click here to view the flyer, programme and booking information
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18th Cross-Cultural Primary Care Course
10 - 14 November 2008
This very successful course has been held every six-months in the UCL Ressearch Department of Primary Care & Population Health, Royal Free & University College Medical School. The Course consists of lectures and discussions, with the opportunity for participants to share their own clinical experiences with the rest of the group. Topics covered in it include: refugee and migrant health; patients health beliefs, body image & presentation of symptoms; family structure & family dynamics; attitudes to death, dying and bereavement, as well as to fertility & childbirth; food beliefs & taboos; attitudes to substance abuse; cultural beliefs about HIV/AIDS & other sexually-transmitted diseases; and issues in cross-cultural psychiatry.For further information visit the website or contact: Ms Barbara Agdomar, b.agdomar@pcps.ucl.ac.uk, tel. 020 7288 3474
Conferences: online presentations
Useful documents
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A service user evaluation of the services offered by the Health Access Team (Word, 175KB)
Report by Katie Cartledge, Leeds Medical School, September 2006 -
Refugees in Primary Care: from looking after to working together (Word, 261KB) (Updated 17 August 2009)
A paper reviewing the provision of primary care for refugees and asylum seekers, published May 2006, by Dr Gervase Vernon, GP and Medical examiner for the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture and Dr Rayah Feldman, Visiting Fellow at the Faculty of Arts and Human Sciences, South Bank University.
Useful links
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The POPPY Project
Funded by the Home Office and the Association of Local Government (ALG) POPPY provides support and housing to women who have been trafficked into prostitution. POPPY combines direct services, support and advocacy with research, development and lobbying. This allows the project to bridge the gaps between theory, practice and the need to influence strategy. -
The Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture
Founded in 1985, the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture provides care and rehabilitation to survivors of torture and other forms of organised violence.
Resources
Many internet and printed resources are available to those who wish to further their interest in primary care for asylum seekers.
The two best manuals are Burnett & Fassil (2002) and Fine & Cheal (2004). For further research the British library website is invaluable and has an indexed and up-to-date list of relevant material in UK and Europe by government department - a real gold mine. Some specialist recourses are:
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There is a tutorial on primary care for asylum seekers at doctors.net (site registration required)
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Language line offers telephone interpreting.
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Medact provides a forum for interested people; you can join the e-mail list and ask more detailed questions to a group of people who will try and help.
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Harpweb has many resources especially translated materials.
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Paul Williams' practice website bristles with useful links.
- If all else fails you can e-mail the author of this module, Dr Gervase Vernon.
References:
- Burnett, A. & Fassil, Y. 2002, Meeting the health needs of refugee and asylum seekers in the UK: an information and resource pack for health workers DoH (accessed 18/09/2005), London.
- Department of Health 2004, Asylum seeker newsletter, special edition on translated resources Department of Health (accessed 18/09/2005), London.
- Fine, B. & Cheal, C. 2004, Resource pack to help General Practitioners and other Primary Health Care Professionals in their work with Refugees and Asylum Seekers Lambeth Primary Care Trust, London.
Network contact: Justine Osborne (Asylum Health Team, Department of Health), Justine.Osborne@dh.gsi.gov.uk, tel. 0113 254 6605