ABSTRACT
The service described in this chapter began in March 2002 in the London Borough of Hackney. In 2001, the government had established a system called Personal Medical Services (PMS) within the National Health Service (NHS) general practice (primary care) sector (Farrar, 2000). The Sanctuary Practice (the Practice) was the ®rst nurse-led PMS pilot within City and Hackney Primary Care Trust (CHPCT). It was funded through a bid submitted by CHPCT to the Regional Health Authority (that part of the NHS that serves a geographical `region') outlining the need for a primary care service catering for newly arrived asylum seekers living in an accommodation centre in Hackney called the Pembury Hotel, prior to their dispersal throughout the UK. The bid was accepted in July 2001. The aim of the Practice was to provide primary health care for asylum seekers and refugees, particularly those living in temporary accommodation within the borough. We hoped to provide a model of health care provision especially geared to maximise accessibility and different in quality and approach from the usual general practice models used in the NHS.
