Provision of an Asylum Seekers Health Access Service to support Cardiff and Vale Health Inclusion Service

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   Although CAVHIS provides care to a range of inclusion health groups, this project focuses specifically on asylum seekers, destitute asylum seekers, individuals with No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) and vulnerable refugees. People seeking asylum often arrive in Cardiff having experienced traumatic events in their home countries and on their journey to the United Kingdom.

   However, despite often having complex, unmet health needs access to and use of healthcare services is a significant challenge for this client group.

   Key barriers to healthcare include: - Lack of understanding of how the UK healthcare system operates - Language barriers - Cultural factors - Insufficient information in appropriate languages - Associated costs (i.e., mobile phone credit to make appointments or public transport to attend appointments). - Lack of tailored services - Negative experiences when attempting to access health and care services These barriers, accompanied with risk factors for poor health, result in significantly poorer health outcomes, putting those affected beyond the extreme end of the gradient of health inequalities.

   Therefore, the successful contract holder for commissioned service must be very experienced in meeting the needs of asylum seekers and refugees from both a legislative requirement perspective and possessing the ability to work proactively with individuals whose first language is not English and whose staff are trained/experienced in working with individuals who have experienced trauma, who have access to linked services that are relevant to Health Inclusion Groups.

   Given the issues outlined above, a level of core UHB funding has been secured to deliver a specialist asylum seeker health access project to support CAVHIS. The project will also be required to provide a level of support to identified GP Practices in the Vale of Glamorgan who are providing care to a growing number of asylum seekers/refugees.

   This aspect of the service is under development and will need to be agreed between CAVHIS, Vale GP Practices and the provider. Due to this the need for an existing strong working at the interface across CAVHIS, GP practice and clusters is essential