Mobile Clinic team to support people experiencing homelessness
Today, we’re launching a new Mobile Clinic service helping people experiencing homelessness and sleeping rough in the City of London.
Volunteer GPs and nurses will offer advice on health conditions, register patients with local GP practices, attend to immediate health needs, provide new socks and gloves and offer screenings for HIV, chlamydia and gonorrhoea.
The aim is to work towards sustainable access to healthcare, so that people experiencing homelessness will be able to access mainstream NHS services and rely on them in times of need.
We have teamed up with the City of London Corporation, which governs the Squ...
Source: Doctors of the World News - December 3, 2019 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Martina Villa Tags: Uncategorised Source Type: news
The gift of healthcare for children
Abdul was just 13 when he arrived in the UK in the back of a lorry. He escaped war in Afghanistan: his father and brother were killed by the Taliban, and Abdul was next.
When Abdul came to us, he still didn’t know the outcome of his asylum application. He’d been living in the streets for four years and was struggling to find his feet in the UK: nightmares, flashbacks, and unimaginable stress.
It is incredibly scary and traumatic to be so far away from home at such a young age. Abdul was so scared of his surroundings that it took him a long time to open up. When he fell from a bench in the park whilst asleep, Abdul ...
Source: Doctors of the World News - November 29, 2019 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Martina Villa Tags: Uncategorised Source Type: news
Maternity Charging
Since the introduction of the Hostile Environment, hospitals have had to charge undocumented migrants living in the UK for non-emergency medical care. This includes pregnant women.
Bills of £7,000 for the basic maternity package (an uncomplicated pregnancy and delivery) are the norm. Often they are much higher.
One of the more shocking cases Doctors of the World supported was a woman sent a bill of £9,600 soon after her 22 week miscarriage.
A pregnancy is a great undertaking for all women. But time and time again we see pregnant women at the clinic who delay accessing or avoid visiting hospitals altogether for fear of i...
Source: Doctors of the World News - November 13, 2019 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Viran Rajaratnam Tags: Uncategorised Source Type: news
Womens Rights
A woman’s body is her own.
Sexual and reproductive rights mean you should be able to make your own decisions about your body and have the right information to assist decision making around:
Managing menstruation
If you want children
Who you want to have children with
Contraception and family planning
Aborting a pregnancy if it is your wish
In the UK thousands of women are being denied these rights. Their status as undocumented migrants means they are fearful of accessing healthcare services so many of us take for granted.
These are women who have frequently had traumatic experiences of trafficking, sexual abuse, relati...
Source: Doctors of the World News - November 13, 2019 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Viran Rajaratnam Tags: Uncategorised Source Type: news
Hostile Environment
In 2012 Theresa May stated her aim “was to create here in Britain a really hostile environment for illegal migration”. The goal was effectively to make life as difficult as possible for any illegal migrant in the UK to continue living in the country.
A year later there was a public outcry when vans drove around the streets of London with slogans reading ‘go home or face arrest’ painted on their sides.
Seven years in, Doctors of the World are still fighting for all Hostile Environment policies to be scrapped. They have weaved their way into all public services and further into society.
In 2015 laws were passed stati...
Source: Doctors of the World News - November 13, 2019 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Viran Rajaratnam Tags: Uncategorised Source Type: news
Migrant Charging
Since 2015 undocumented migrants living in the UK have been charged to access ‘non-urgent’ healthcare. This includes people living with cancer and pregnant women. The costs are calculated at 150% of the cost to the NHS resulting in bills of thousands of pounds.
People who can’t pay are being turned away from hospitals. Others agree payment plans but after six months any debt of more than £500, the Home Office has access to their information.
Most doctors do not want to play any role in immigration enforcement. They simply want to treat people in need, regardless of their race, religion, nationality, or any other suc...
Source: Doctors of the World News - November 13, 2019 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Viran Rajaratnam Tags: Uncategorised Source Type: news
Let ’s make sure everyone in Britain can access the healthcare they need
Doctors of the World is an independent humanitarian organisation and we will not stay quiet when it comes to protecting the right to healthcare and the health of our patients, beyond party politics and easy electoral slogans.
For the General Election 2019, we put forward our policy recommendations outlining the key changes the next government needs to make to ensure everyone living in the UK can get the healthcare they need. Our recommendations are grounded in our patients’ experience of accessing NHS services.
We include eight questions you can ask candidates to better understand their stance on access to healthcare...
Source: Doctors of the World News - November 7, 2019 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Martina Villa Tags: Uncategorised Source Type: news
Northeast Syria Response
Over 180,000 people have had to flee their homes in northeast Syria following a military intervention launched by Turkey. This could include up to 80,000 children.
While the need for humanitarian aid has increased dramatically, military operations have forced many humanitarian organisations to evacuate their expatriate personnel and suspend or reduce their provision of services.
We have been in the area for two years and are currently supporting the displaced population receive the healthcare support they so desperately need.
Despite the difficult circumstances, our teams are currently supporting seven health facilities....
Source: Doctors of the World News - November 1, 2019 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Martina Villa Tags: Uncategorised Source Type: news
“ You are welcome here ”
To celebrate the clinic launch, our supporters have sent over 130 messages to show their solidarity with our patients.
For many, the winter months and Christmas are a period of longing for their loved ones, when isolation and loneliness feels the strongest. These heart-warming words of peace, welcome, and support can make patients feel less alone in this difficult time.
Thank you for all those who sent in their messages. If you’d like to share yours, you can send it through this link.
Here are some of the messages we received:
“I am so pleased that you are able to access health care. I am proud to be par...
Source: Doctors of the World News - November 1, 2019 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Martina Villa Tags: Uncategorised Source Type: news
Medical royal colleges and homeless charities call for doctors to receive mandatory training in keeping homeless patients off the streets
The Royal College of Physicians (RCP), along with seven other medical royal colleges and homeless charities, has called on the Government to urgently address the needs of homeless people treated in the NHS.
The organisations made their call in a collective response to the government’s consultation on the Homelessness Reduction Act (HRA), which includes a duty to refer homeless patients in Accident and Emergency departments to their local housing authority.
Since its implementation in 2017, it is still unclear whether the HRA’s mandate that hospitals must refer homeless people on, is having any real benefit. Anecdotal e...
Source: Doctors of the World News - October 25, 2019 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Martina Villa Tags: Uncategorised Source Type: news
Thank you for joining us at the Clinic Launch
What a joy to have so many of you join us to celebrate the launch of our new east London clinic.
Portraits from the collection “Undocumented” exhibited at the clinic.
On October 16th, our wonderful supporters, volunteers, and staff members came together to celebrate the opening of our new clinic, now located in Stratford. Since opening in 1998, we have directly helped almost 20,000 people in the UK. This new medical space will provide new opportunities for our patients and volunteers, allowing us to provide more holistic care to our patients in need.
Ellen Waters, Director of Development, and Peter Gough, volun...
Source: Doctors of the World News - October 23, 2019 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Martina Villa Tags: Uncategorised Source Type: news
Doctors of the World launches new clinic for people in vulnerable circumstances
The new Doctors of the World Clinic in east London was launched today. After 16 years of work in the area, our clinical services have now moved to purpose built premises which will allow our volunteer doctors and caseworkers to support more patients than ever.
It is imperative that we are able to see more patients and scale up our services, as we estimate that between 50,000 and 500,000 people in the UK need us. These are patients who have been too frightened to go to see a doctor because they are scared that they will be deported by the Home Office, that their data will be shared, and that they will face bills of thousand...
Source: Doctors of the World News - October 16, 2019 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Martina Villa Tags: Uncategorised Source Type: news
The Syria INGO Regional Forum statement on impact of military developments on the civilian population in northeast Syria
The Syria INGO Regional Forum, comprising 73 INGOs responding to the Syria crisis, expressed deep concern at the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation since Turkey’s military operation started on the 9 October. The UN estimates that more than 200,000 people have been displaced, and is planning to support up to 400,000 people with assistance and protection in the coming period.
Over three days Hasakeh city saw an estimated 60,000 new arrivals as a result of the violence, while hostilities in the area also damaged the main water station, leaving it out of service. 400,000 people, including 82,000 people in Al...
Source: Doctors of the World News - October 15, 2019 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Martina Villa Tags: Uncategorised Source Type: news
Doctors of the World present a Manifesto to fight gender-based violence
Gender-based violence, particularly violence against women and girls, is one of the most widespread human rights violations in the world, with serious impacts on the health, development, and identity of the individual. In a manifesto presented this afternoon, Doctors of the World warns about this problem and puts forward a set of solutions to fight it.
Portugal, 10 October 2019. Doctors of the World presented this afternoon the manifesto “Gender-based violence, particularly violence against women” addressing the persistence of this type of violence throughout the world, which is a violation of human rights and ...
Source: Doctors of the World News - October 11, 2019 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Martina Villa Tags: Uncategorised Source Type: news
15 aid agencies warn of humanitarian crisis in North-East Syria
Civilians at risk as violence escalates and humanitarian work is suspended.
Civilians in north-east Syria are at risk and humanitarian aid could be cut off following the launch of a new military operation in the area, leading aid agencies are warning.
Reports from humanitarian responders on the ground say civilians are already on the move and that some vital services have been interrupted, including medical facilities and water supplies. Agencies say that some of their staff have fled with their families, while others are on lockdown.
An estimated 450,000 people live within 5 kilometres of the Syria-Turkey border and a...
Source: Doctors of the World News - October 10, 2019 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Martina Villa Tags: Uncategorised Source Type: news
