Tuesday 27 January 2015

The Migrant Health Guide

The Migrant Health Guide

An online resource for primary care practitioners Karen Wagner Travel and Migrant Health Section, Health Protection Agency

https://www.rcn.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/442116/Karen_Wagner.pdf

New multilingual guide seeks to tackle UK migrant worker exploitation

An online guide to help combat the exploitation of migrant workers, so that everyone is treated fairly, has been launched by the Trades Union Congress (TUC), with European support. The guide, Working in the UK, is available in 13 languages, including Polish, Bulgarian and Romanian.
Working in the UK provides workers with information and guidance on crucial issues such as pay, employment contracts, working hours, sick pay, and health and safety. It also explains how trade unions help workers deal with mistreatment, such as bogus self-employment or non-payment of the minimum wage, and bargain for better pay and conditions. TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Unscrupulous employers have taken advantage of the fact that migrant workers are often unaware of their employment rights. “Migrant workers are regularly forced to accept appalling working conditions, low wages and a complete absence of rights. The issue of migrants undercutting existing workers has been exploited by some politicians to win support for anti-immigrant policies that only increase social tension and do nothing to clamp down on bad bosses and improve conditions for all workers.

http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/21358

Brain drain: Migrants are the lifeblood of the NHS, it's time the UK paid for them

Globally, universal health coverage – access to quality health services without the risk of financial hardship – is now firmly in the spotlight. Listed as a priority by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and even the World Bank, it also appears prominently in the post-2015 framework. This is an exciting moment for those of us who work towards the realisation of Health for All, and in particular for all those who are are currently denied healthcare.
But the realisation of the dream requires strong health systems, and strong health systems require health workers. Yet the WHO predicts that the current global shortage of 7.2 million health workers will increase to 12.9 million by 2035, with the poorest countries bearing the brunt of those shortages.
http://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2015/jan/06/migrants-nhs-compensation-global-health-brain-drain

‘Inequality has become a challenge to us as moral beings’

Britain is beset by a crisis of purpose. We don’t know who we are any longer, where we are going or even if there is a “we”. The country is so passionately attached to past glories because there are so few to celebrate in the present. The crisis is compounded since we have been told for 30 years that the route to universal wellbeing is to abandon the expense of justice and equity and so allow the judgments of the market to go unobstructed. Private decisions in markets supposedly are morally and economically better than any public or collective action. As a result the sense of the “we” that binds a society together and gives us reason to belong is being lost. We take refuge in looking after number one, because there is no sense in, nor reason for, doing anything else.

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/jan/25/inequality-has-become-challenge-how-good-we-can-be-extract-will-hutton

Migrants to face NHS emergency care charges in England

They include extended prescription fees, the introduction of charges for some emergency care and higher rates for optical and dental services.
However, GP and nurse consultations will remain free, and nobody will be turned away in an emergency.
Ministers say they are keen to clamp down on any abuse of the system, but doctors' leaders have voiced concerns.
The government had considered charging for GP consultations, but decided that easy initial access was important to prevent risks to public health such as HIV, TB and sexually transmitted infections. Other types of primary care services that are being considered for charging include minor surgery that is carried out by a GP and physiotherapy that has been referred through a GP.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-25529636



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Our Vision and Services

Our vision is of a society where no one should experience discrimination on the grounds of their mental health.

Mental health problems are extremely common across society, with one in four of us experiencing them in any year. Despite being so common, people from all communities will still experience discriminatory attitudes and behaviours that can prevent people from speaking out, seeking support and playing full and active roles in our communities. The impact of mental health stigma and discrimination will vary between communities as mental health has a cultural context that affects the way communities talk about the subject and engage with people who have mental health problems. In some cultures depression, for example, doesn't exist and in others an experience of a mental health problem can be attached to a sense of shame.

For the African and Caribbean communities a key issue is the overrepresentation of young African and Caribbean men in mental health services. Misconceptions and stereotypes have led to a perception that this group is more likely to pose a risk of violent behaviour and, as a result, they are more likely to be treated as inpatients and sectioned when compared to other groups. It is well documented that this has led to a fear of talking about mental health issues more openly and a fear of using mental health services. Research by the Race Equality Foundation (2011) also highlighted fears that discrimination against Black & Minority Ethnic (BME) communities and migrant service users will increase in the austerity climate and whilst commissioning arrangements change.

Our Services

· Provide information, advice, advocacy

· Represent diversity communities in Health Care services, policies and strategies

· Organise training in health and social care in collaboration with local colleges

· Provide human resources ( including interpreters) who are suitable to the diversity communities especially to break language and cultural barriers

· Provides domiciliary care and support

· Provide services such specialised support for people with mental health needs, including people who suffer from short-term memory problems, Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease.

· Provide visits to elderly people and help them with outings and home services

· Participate in local authority and NHS consultations , research events and programmes to voice the needs of diversity communities.

· Increase access to services and rights for disadvantaged people and the most vulnerable of our society

· Help and support unemployed people to look for work, including training and job preparation

· Provide legal advice in a range of issues from on Immigration and Asylum , welfare benefits, housing, health, education, community care, and training, employment, etc.

· Provide advice and guidance, information and practical help so that our service users can access opportunities they are entitled to

· Organise training and other community learning opportunities that provide new skills, increase confidence and motivation

· Support our service users to overcome barriers to learning, employment and training

· Provide support for young people with their education, training, confidence building, employment and social needs.

Objectives of our Diversity Living Programme:

· To promote the inclusion and participation of diversity communities* in integrated care.

· To inform policy, locally and nationally, and assisting in the formulation of effective policies, strategies and good practices in integrated care in order to contribute to improved health outcomes for the people from the diversity communities (e.g. Black and minority ethnic communities) and to ensure health services are able to meet their specific needs.

· To improve the quality of life for diversity people with disability, mental health problems and their families and carers through integrated care by providing inclusive advocacy and information.

· To provide service that enable diversity groups and individuals with disability /elderly and their carers to make the right choice for themselves and have an influence on decisions made about their future.

· To promote the rights of diversity people with disability, their families and carers and make sure their rights are safe and protected.

· To promoting access to information regarding healthcare issues and to raise awareness of the needs of diversity disabled children, young people, older people and their families.

· To promote the rights of older and disabled diversity people, helping them overcome and enable them to participate in decisions about their future

· To provide support and information to those suffering the isolation and loneliness that can be associated with disability and old age

· To fight against mental health stigma in refugee, black and minority ethnic communities and ensure no one should experience discrimination on the grounds of their mental health or disability.

*Diversity communities are older people, disabled people, Black, Asian, refugees, migrants, asylum seekers and other ethnic minorities.