The Institute of Rural Health (2005) notes that the majority of healthcare that patients receive is delivered in a primary or community care setting. For this reason, it is important that patients have access to general practitioner (GP) practices and primary care centres. Access to health care is concerned with the relationship between need, provision and utilisation of health services (NCCSDO, 2001).
Using health services require substantial effort on the part of people. People have to call up a range of resources, including knowledge and information resources, social, language and support resources, and practical resources (NCCSDO, 2001). There is evidence that refugees and asylum seekers may be disadvantaged in their access to these resources (Burchill, 2001). Eke, 2006 points out that thousands come the UK each year, having to adjust to a new life in foreign country and not knowing where to start.
People’s interpersonal and language skills, and in particular their ability to articulate their health problem and conduct consultations, may mediate access to care (NCCSDO, 2001). Asylum seekers are often from very different cultures, may not speak …show more content…
Regarding indirect costs, GPs report that asylum seekers affect target payments where those registered on patient lists refuse or do not turn up for vaccinations and cervical screening. As a result of these real or perceived costs, some healthcare providers are reluctant to register asylum seekers. A number of health authorities and primary care trusts have recognised this is a problem and are starting to offer raised payments for the registration of asylum seekers. Others are funding additional support staff for practices (Johnson,