Refugee Support: The Safe Surgeries Initiative

Doctors of the World’s Safe Surgeries initiative offers a structured framework for GP practices to enhance care accessibility for asylum seekers and refugees, prioritising language support and confidentiality. Understanding and implementing this framework can help practice managers improve healthcare access and patient satisfaction for marginalised groups

CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared on RCGP

Being an asylum seeker or a refugee means starting over. It means leaving your family and everything you once knew in the hope of sanctuary. Asylum seekers have to navigate an entirely unfamiliar healthcare system which naturally comes with its challenges, such as learning how and where to appropriately access healthcare and overcoming financial, cultural and language barriers.

This is compounded by an already strained NHS with long wait times for mental health services and for GP appointments due to the ongoing pressures in general practice. Doing this alongside concerns about your asylum claim, poor housing conditions, isolation and separation from your loved ones or not being allowed to work is far from a simple feat.

How to improve refugee care in your GP surgery

Safe Surgeries is an initiative set up by Doctors of the World (DOTW) which aims to tackle some of these barriers by establishing a simple Safe Surgeries framework that GP surgeries can follow in line with NHS policy. One key aspect is to encourage the use of interpreters, where possible, to break down the language barrier, allowing for better communication. Patients with insecure immigration status, such as asylum seekers and undocumented migrants, understandably may have fears about information being shared with the Home Office. Therefore, as a Safe Surgery, you are advised not to ask for proof of immigration status, to ensure patient information remains protected, and that frontline staff are able to create a welcoming and reassuring environment.

Working with GPs under pressure in primary care

With the unprecedented pressures GPs and their teams are working under, DOTW can support surgeries to become Safe Surgeries through training, offering resources and posters in different languages and a template registration policy. Many GPs are already following the good practice and the Safe Surgeries guidelines can help provide a level of confidence that the steps they have taken are endorsed by medical leaders in the area of refugee health care.

In embracing the Safe Surgeries framework, GP practices not only uphold the principles of compassionate healthcare for asylum seekers and refugees but also demonstrate leadership in promoting inclusivity and access to essential services. By implementing these measures, practice managers can significantly improve patient outcomes and foster a supportive environment for all individuals seeking care.