Health Sector

Health infrastructure refers to the physical and organizational components that support the delivery of healthcare services. For this mapping exercise, the health infrastructure will include various facilities and institutions such as hospitals, dispensaries, general practitioner (GP) practices, dental practices, opticians, and hospices. These components work together to provide a comprehensive healthcare system to meet the diverse needs of individuals and communities. A major aspect of what this mapping exercise will not reflect is that of the infrastructure’s capacity and this element will not be explored in the mapping exercise but may be an avenue of further research

Access to health infrastructure is crucial for refugees, as it provides comprehensive healthcare services tailored to their specific needs. Refugees and people seeking asylum can have complex health needs and these may be the result of traumatic or adverse experiences prior to leaving their home country, during transit or after arrival in the UK. Trauma-informed and person-centered care is therefore essential to support people during this process.

Common health challenges for refugees and seekers of asylum can include: mental health including sleep disorders, loneliness, intense anxiety, depression, flashbacks, pos-traumatic stress, and suicidal ideation; dehydration and malnourishment; untreated injuries, communicable diseases, such as TB and HIV and parasitic infections; sexually transmitted infections; poor maternal health, lack of continuity of care and pregnancy as result of rape; increased risks to child health and development; undiagnosed or lack of access to treatment for chronic health conditions, dental care and disabilities; limited access to vaccination programmes, including child health and Covid-19; increased susceptibility to infectious diseases including Covid-19; and people with chronic health conditions and disabilities.

Data points on the map were generated from the .CSV file provided by the NHS’s Organisation Data Service. It provided information on GP services, hospice services, dental services and optical services. Each service has its own layer in the map of the region and contains a range of information that is publicly available. The information is updated quarterly and is up to date from the date of the creation of this publication.

The analysis results indicate that GP services are widely available throughout the region, with a ubiquitous presence. However, it is noteworthy that these services tend to be more concentrated in population centers and to reiterate that physical availability does not denote capacity. Similarly, the distribution and pattern of dispensaries, optician and dental services mirror that of GP services, indicating a similar trend. These services are also prevalent in population centers, likely due to the higher demand. Again, physical availability does not denote capacity. The analysis reveals a notable limitation in hospice provision within the region. Hospices are primarily located in population centers, with limited availability in other areas. This suggests that end-of-life care and specialized services for terminally ill patients are less accessible in non-population center regions, which could potentially impact the quality of care and support available to individuals in those areas. This poses little effect, currently, on those seeking asylum in the UK as the age demographic skews heavily towards the younger end of the spectrum.