Health care for asylum seekers and refugees
Coming to live in a new country can be confusing and anxiety provoking and looking after your health can be especially important. To ensure the asylum seekers and refugees who attend the Friends of the Drop In (FODI) at St Mary’s Church in Sunderland City Centre, we ensure we go along to support them to get the healthcare they need.
Using Sunderland’s dedicated Health and Wellness Hub, which is a website which has been designed by local healthcare professions and enables people to access information in their chosen language, by using the sites translation tool. We have been able to support people at the drop in to register online with a local GP practice as well as refer them to the GP Alliance Social Prescribing Team. The Health and Wellbeing Hub also gives people the opportunity to access a range of very useful information about local health services and self-care.
Due to our regular presence at the drop in, people there are starting to recognise us as a trusted service and feel comfortable asking us questions about theirs and their families health and care, or just practising their English with us. They also encourage new people to come and speak with us.
What difference has this made
People who are new to our city have been able to access timely healthcare for them and their families, which enables them to be as well as they can be, which can give them the strength they need to live in a new country and hopefully thrive in their new surroundings.
People are now aware of Sunderland Health and Wellness Hub so have access to local health and wellbeing support and information in their chosen language.
To access the hub, go to:
