Saturday 15 December 2007

EDM 220 withdrawl of primary healthcare from asylum seekers

Dear Sir,

The Government wishes to withdraw primary healthcare from asylum seekers.

The effect of this measure would not only harm many unwell and damaged people who need GP care, but also have incalculable long term 'invisible' public costs: greatly increased demands on emergency care/A&E departments, dangerous deterioration and public health risks of serious illnesses, and expensive chronic treatment later on. I believe this proposal is both unwise and inhumane.

Please help to prevent this happening by signing Early Day Motion 220 below.

Best wishes, David Young
"Access to Health Care for Vulnerable Migrants - What needs to be done?"

Gerrard, Neil
That this House notes the commitment by the Home Office and the Department of Health to a joint review of overseas visitor access to the National Health Service, now due for publication in December 2007; recalls the findings of the Joint Committee on Human Rights' Tenth Report of Session 2006-07 that the current arrangements for overseas visitor access deny healthcare to vulnerable individuals, including asylum seekers and their children, resulting in various breaches of the European Convention on Human Rights; applauds the Trade Union Congress's NHS Together campaign to defend the achievements of the free NHS; and supports the charity coalition campaign co-ordinated by the medical charity Medact against any measures that would compel general practitioners, and other primary care staff, to be forced to charge refused asylum seekers or other vulnerable foreign nationals for NHS care.