JCWI News

Access to Health Care for Vulnerable Migrants

The Government is currently considering charging refused asylum seekers and undocumented migrants for NHS primary health care. A review is expected to be published in December 2007. JCWI and a number of NGOs and health professionals are concerned such charges could prevent vulnerable people, including pregnant women and children, from accessing vital treatment. 

The NGOs sponsoring a joint petition against such charges include Medact, Medecins du Monde, Medsin, Doctors for Human Rights, National Aids Trust, Terrence Higgins Trust and Refugee awareness.

You can support our campaign to safeguard migrant access to healthcare in the ways listed below. 

Sign the petition on line at http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/access/

Send an email to the Secretary of State for Health expressing your concern at the proposed changes. Please write the email in a way that makes clear your own concerns on this matter but it would help if mention was made of the need for a full health impact assessment before further changes in regulation http://voiceyourviews.net/eactivist/vyv.v?v=2121:861:14332

If you prefer download and print out the statement sign it and return as indicated http://www.medact.org/ref_entitlement_page.php

Take a look at the Medact briefing paper explaining the proposed changes and their potential impact. http://www.medact.org/ref_entitlement_page.php

If you are a health professional please consider contacting your professional organisation and ask them to speak out on this issue; and wherever you work discuss this issue with colleagues who may not be aware of the review and its possible implications.