Thread by @DOTW_UK

Twitter take over! My name is Oscar, I’m a volunteer for @DOTW_UK, and today I’m reporting from our clinic in East London. I’ll be shadowing a clinic worker and reporting on some of the cases we see, hopefully giving you an idea of what an average day here looks like. Stay tuned.

A bit of info first - The clinic has been running since 2006 and is open five days a week. Volunteer GPs and nurses offer medical services to those facing barriers to healthcare, such as asylum seekers, undocumented migrants, homeless people and sex workers. #hostileenvironment

I'm currently shadowing Sarah, a clinic support worker who has been volunteering at the clinic once a week for 2 and a half years.

Sarah's first patient is John, who is from Indonesia and has been in the UK for 3 years.

John has been suffering with stomach problems for two years, which have forced him to stop work. Until now, he has not sought medical help nor ever seen a GP. John's case is commonplace - in 2017, 89% of patients seen in @DOTW_UK clinic were not previously registered with a GP.

Sarah helps John sign up for a GP in his area, filling out relevant documentation. Like all other patients at the clinic, John receives a free STI check up and healthcare advice. #HealthCareForAll

Due to John's uncertain immigration status, Sarah gives him the details of a local charity that works with asylum seekers. Additionally, as John cannot work due to his illness, he is given food bank vouchers and reimbursed his travel fares. #protectmigrants

Many immigrants like John face barriers to healthcare due to their uncertain status, and are often not signed up to their local GP surgery for fear of being reported to the authorities and deported back to their country of origin. #hostileenvironment

Sarah is now seeing her second patient of the day, Sabrina, who is from Brazil and currently claiming asylum in the UK. Due to a language barrier, Sarah uses an interpreter to communicate with Sabrina. This is commonplace - @DOTW_UK often relies on interpreters to communicate.

Anybody with a pending asylum claim has access to free healthcare, however Sabrina did not know this previously.

Sarah informs Sabrina of her rights and helps her to sign up to her local GP clinic. Sabrina also receives a free STI check up and food bank vouchers.

Many asylum seekers like Sabrina are unaware of their rights, and therefore do not sign up to a GP clinic. As a result, they do not receive the healthcare services they need.

Can you imagine going years without seeing a doctor?
#migrantsrights

A few reoccurring themes have stuck me today. From what I have seen, it is clear that migrants, often unaware of their rights, unfamiliar with the system and unable to navigate its red tape, face barriers to healthcare at every turn.

At the East London clinic, @DOTW_UK helps people dealing with such issues to get access to the healthcare services which are their human and legal right.

The team is now debriefing. The clinical support workers, GPs and nurses come together and talk about the cases they have seen over the day.

There have been a total of eight people seen at the Clinic today. The cases have been varied, but apparently tipical: migrants, homeless people and refugees with a range of health issues all experiencing difficulty getting access to the care they need.

Today has informed me greatly of the issues faced by marginalised people in our communities. It has also been amazing to witness the selfless work of the volunteers of @DOTW_UK. As I sign out, I would like to wish everybody a lovely evening and a great weekend!
#HealthCareForAll