ABSTRACT
In the United Kingdom there is no reception programme for asylum seekers and new arrivals generally find out about services and entitlements in an ad hoc fashion. This is very much the case with health services and in most cases new arrivals regard access to health care as less of a priority than their asylum status and getting accommodation and money. It means that many asylum seekers do not consider how they can access the National Health Service (NHS) until they become ill. This is borne out by the fact that many organisations offering advice to new arrivals find that very few queries are made about health services. While this is not surprising, it is essential that the importance of the health service is emphasised, so that asylum seekers can access and use the appropriate services when they do need them.
