Healthwatch Oldham conducted a survey with asylum seekers and refugees residing in temporary hotel accommodation to understand their experiences accessing GP services.
The findings revealed several barriers, such as inconsistent registration times, lack of patient health checks, and difficulties in communicating with doctors due to limited access to interpreters.
While some positive experiences were noted, many respondents felt that their medical needs were not adequately addressed, with some appointments being rushed or lacking follow-up care. Healthwatch Oldham has made several recommendations to improve GP services for this vulnerable population, including better communication about appointment times, ensuring health checks for all new patients, and providing appropriate interpretation services.
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