The Department of Health and Social Care and Office for National Statistics have prepared a paper on the direct and indirect health impacts of Covid-19 between March 2020 and Spring 2021.
A short version of the paper (18 pages) was published on 9th September 2021.
It provides analysis of current evidence and understanding of the COVID-19 transmission risks associated with hotels and MQFs, to understand whether there are risk factors specific to hotels.
A review of migrant health research has been published, outlining trends in research in the last couple of decades and setting out recommendations for the future research agenda.
Leeds City Council’s Communications department are currently setting up a Winter Response group, which will co-ordinate communications on Covid-19 and various other interlinked issues around Winter and health.
To ensure the Communities toolkit remains relevant, they would like volunteers to complete this 5-minute survey to highlight your needs and indicate how you’re using/have used the toolkit:
The latest iteration of the toolkit includes:
Two new government items (Vaccines Toolkit by the Cabinet Office and Back to Schools/Colleges guidance by the Dept of Education)
Links to social media artwork displaying vaccination locations for 16-17 year olds
Gov.UK have updated their guidance on how everyone can help stop the spread of coronavirus in line with the latest Step 4 guidance and the government’s plan for Autumn/Winter 2021.
The University of Birmingham has published a report into Doctors Of The World’s casework, proving significant unmet healthcare needs and an evident digital divide in migrant patients during the first wave of the pandemic.
Key findings from the report
The average number of consultations per month dropped drastically from approximately 170 before the pandemic to 50 during the pandemic
Service users were much more likely to find themselves in inadequate housing
Significant barriers to GP registration remained
Percentage of undocumented service users decreased, while the percentage of asylum seekers increased.
There was a significant increase in service users reporting ‘bad’ or ‘very bad’ health
Gov.UK have produced an easy read guide for children and young people (aged 12-15) with learning disabilities, explaining what they can expect when they receive their Covid-19 vaccination. Additionally, a Coronavirus vaccine consent form for young people is available.
Following the news that people aged 50 years and over, health and social care workers and younger people at risk are being offered a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine this autumn, the UK government have published a guide to booster vaccinations.
The Royal College of Midwives has produced ‘Caring for vulnerable migrant women’ which is a pocket guide for midwives and maternity support workers, covering a range of topics.
The UK government has published guidance on financial support for people who cannot afford the managed quarantine and testing fees associated with ‘essential travel’ to the UK during the pandemic.
The UK government has updated its migrant health advice and guidance on prevalence of communicable diseases and other health topics from different countries.
To support the Health Foundation’s COVID-19 impact inquiry, Good Things Foundation, the Health Foundation and the King’s Fund joined to convene a diverse group of people with a shared interest in tackling digital exclusion and health inequalities. The workshop was also an opportunity to make and strengthen connections, and share experience on promising approaches, opportunities and how to achieve sustained and inclusive change. Their paper gives an overview of digital exclusion and its relationship to health, social and economic aspects of people’s lives; who is affected; how the pandemic has impacted on this; and what responses we have seen.
Report on migration and vulnerability during the pandemic
A new report on migration and vulnerability during the pandemic was produced as part of the University of Birmingham Vulnerable Migrants’ Wellbeing Project led by Professor Jenny Phillimore (and funded by the Nuffield Foundation and ESRC IAA). The report, which shows significant unmet healthcare needs and deep digital divide in migrant patients during first wave of the pandemic, draws on Doctors of the World’s anonymised service users’ data at the height of the first wave of the pandemic. Amongst the key findings of the report:
The average number of consultations per month dropped drastically from approximately 170 before the pandemic to 50 during the pandemic
Service Users were much more likely to find themselves in inadequate housing
Significant barriers to GP registration remained
Percentage of undocumented service users decreased, while the percentage of asylum seekers increased.
There was a significant increase in service users reporting ‘bad’ or ‘very bad’ health.
Migration Yorkshire has launched the Migration news roundup for anyone interested in migration but without lots of time to search for news.
The roundup is a new, weekly service drawing together news items on migration, covering policy, immigration law, individual stories, research and statistics, mainly relating to the UK but also with a snapshot of overseas stories.
Doctors of the World have kindly shared their Vaccine Confidence Toolkit, a resource aimed at assisting community leaders in encouraging people to take up the vaccine.
The toolkit includes Vaccine Confidence slides and speaker notes and will soon be available in 5 community languages.
In collaboration with Safer Kirklees, we are delivering a safeguarding training on Tuesday, 7 September 2021 at 14:30
Location: The Mission (Theatre Room) 3-13 Lord Street, Huddersfield HD1 1QA
Trainer: Karen Booth
Aim:
To understand safeguarding in the context of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants.
Outcome
Following this briefing, you will be able to:
Understand safeguarding issues and concerns in the context of refugees migrants and asylum seekers
Reflect on real case studies
Take appropriate action when a safeguarding disclosure is made
Reflect on safeguarding processes within your own organisations.
The training will also cover mental health, UASC, age disputes, modern slavery and exploitation including financial, accommodation and the risks around the location etc. and cultural / religious beliefs and awareness (or lack of) expectations within the UK.
These animated resources address recommendations arising from a stakeholder engagement exercise to improve the Migrant Health Guide NHS entitlements page, done in 2019, which asked for more clarity about NHS entitlements and to adopt a more culturally sensitive approach. These outputs will also complement a suite of PHE and NHSE/I COVID-19 vaccination resources (for the general public) being made available to mitigate vaccination inequalities.
The animations aim to dispel fears of being charged for free NHS services, supports PHE’s role in reducing health inequalities by clarifying entitlements to healthcare and upholds the Public Sector Equality Duty.
Doctors of the World social prescribing resources to support migrants
New DOTW guidance on how social prescribing workers can support migrants.
COVID-19 translated advice and guidance is available on the PHE Migrant Health Guide here
PHE COVID-19 guidance collection page for the general public includes translated versions here
The updated guidance for accommodation providers of asylum seeker accommodation was published on Fri 23rd July here. The guidance is aimed at all staff involved in providing support to asylum seekers in all accommodation settings.
A Braille version of the leaflet is also available to order.
A set of 4 posters and social media cards encouraging vaccine uptake among pregnant women are available for download only – by logging into this NHS England website.
Public Health England have issued translations of their comprehensive stay at home guidance for anyone with symptoms of coronavirus. This also applies to anyone who is asymptomatic but is waiting for results of a PCR test.
The Department for Education have published a policy paper on the National Tutoring Programme (NTP), a scheme started in 2020 to provide support for pupils and students most affected by disruption to their education as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Further information about the programme can be found on the NTP website.
The aim of the training is to educate and raise awareness of the ongoing racial injustice and everyday discrimination faced by colleagues from ethnic minorities across our diverse communities.
The voices and experiences of the Race Equality Network members from ethnic minorities have shaped the purpose and content of the training.
Solace have a vacancy for a Children and Families therapist (closing date Monday 23rd August) and are looking for trustees with lived experience of the asylum process or being a refugee. Please share with your networks.
As restrictions have been eased following the move to Step 4 of the roadmap, the UK government are advising clinically extremely vulnerable people, as a minimum, to follow the same guidance as everyone else.
From the WomenCentre……..We would like to share with you our newly launched report Digital Ways of Women Centred Working that brings together good practice principles for work with women migrants. The report shares practical, tangible examples of the adaption of services and support for digital, remote and blended ways of working.
The learning brought together in the report is summarised in six principles that offer guidance, with practical steps that showcase practice examples. The principles have emerged from work with women migrants and partners on Connecting Opportunities.
Get inspired by learning from women migrants about the transition and adaptation of support services; explore the resources that are available on the website and consider the steps you can take to make your work more women centred. To download the report please click: here
After 30 June 2021 all EU citizens (adults and children) living in UK lost their right to be in the country lawfully with the exception of :
Those who have settled or pre-settled status through the EU Settlement Scheme
Those who made an application to EUSS on or before 30 June 2021 (they should have a Certificate of Application to show this)
Those who have some other sort of status, e.g. Indefinite Leave to Remain, Discretionary Leave to Remain
Those who are British citizens (even if they hold dual citizenship)
Other EU citizens may be visiting the UK as a tourist or with visas allowing them to stay for a set period or to join family members. These people do not have the same rights as those with settled status living in the UK.
People who do not have the right to live in the UK but who are living in this country do not have rights to most benefits, NHS treatment other than for emergencies (and some other exemptions), to be employed, to enter into a rental lease for property, to access further or higher education, or to have a UK bank account. They may be removed from the country by the British authorities.
How does an EU citizen get the right to live in the UK?
The government maintains that the deadline to apply under the EUSS was 30 June 2021, which has now passed. Almost everyone who has did not apply before this deadline is now unlawfully resident in the UK as explained above.
However, the Home Office have effectively extended the time limit for applications, allowing late applications until at least 28 July 2021. During this period from 30 June – 28 July 2021 applicants can apply as before, but must explain why their application is late. During this initial 28-day period following the 30 June 2021 any explanation for lateness can be minimal and requires little or no supporting evidence, and can still be expected to be processed as normal.
Beyond 28 July 2021 applicants will likely need to provide stronger explanations for their late application. The Home Office guidance provides a helpful non-exhaustive list of accepted reasons for lateness. Some of the common reasons will involve age, medical condition, capacity, vulnerability (e.g. victims of trafficking or domestic violence), and a useful catch-all of any other compelling reason e.g. waiting for anew ID/passport to be provided.
This allowance for late applications does not change the legal position and lack of rights now that the 30 June 2021 deadline has passed. At present no indication has been given about the government’s policy after 28 July 2021 and whether they will seek to remove EU citizens with no right to remain. Late applications to the scheme can be made after 28 July and there is, at present, no end date for these, but the government could begin enforcing much harsher measures against those who have yet to apply by 28 July 2021.
The process for applying under the EUSS remains much the same. Applicants can apply online using a valid national ID, passport, or BRP/BRC. Now, applicants with an expired passport or national ID can use the online application process. Those without a valid or expired ID document will need to use some alternative ID, such as a Birth Certificate, and apply via a paper application form.
Most applicants will still need to prove their residence in the UK before 1 January 2021, as a minimum. Applicants will also still need to prove “suitability”, which is effectively proving they should not be excluded from the EUSS based on serious criminal history.
There remain other, more complex, routes by which applicants can apply including non-EU national family members, victims of domestic violence, carers of British citizen children. Do check with a legal professional if you feel someone might be eligible under these routes.
How does someone prove their right to live in the UK?
People with settled or pre-settled status can prove this by obtaining a “share code” online and logging into the UK Immigration – ID check website (link below). They will need details from the same ID document they used when applying to EUSS and have access to same mobile number or email address used to make the initial application. Some EU citizens may have a Biometric Residence Permit or an entry in their passport to prove their status but the majority will need to access the online site. If people are looking to rent or to prove their right to work there are other online sites that can be used by a prospective landlord or employer.
This document is for guidance purposes only and reflects the situation at the date of writing. Readers should take specific advice or research theirposition before taking any action. Useful websites include :
Following the progression to Step 4 of the roadmap, this guidance is for everyone in England who has been identified as clinically extremely vulnerable from coronavirus (COVID-19).
This guidance has been updated to reflect Step 4 roadmap changes. Translations and easy read guidance have temporarily been removed while being updated.
The UK government has issued public health information to protect the public and stop the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). This includes public health advice and coronavirus-related duties for entering and staying within England.
Gov.UK have created an overview of NHS Test and Trace, including what happens if you test positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) or have had close contact with someone who has tested positive.
The UK government have issued guidance on how to get the NHS COVID Pass and demonstrate your coronavirus (COVID-19) status when travelling abroad and domestically at events and venues in England.
The Home Office has confirmed that as of 19th July 2021 negative cessations will resume meaning that anyone who has had a negative decision on their asylum claim can now have their support discontinued. All recipients on support whether on section 4 or section 95 support will receive 21 days notice of their support ending.
The #HandsUpForOurHealth coalition, which includes Doctors of the World is campaigning on this issue. As part of this they highlight the Safe Surgeries initiative – a network GP practices can join.
Racial Justice Network, with the support of Queen Mary University of London and University of Huddersfield, have produced this report; “Between a Rock and a Hard Place,” following interviews with community advocates living in Yorkshire and Humber during Covid 19.
The report is available in various formats including short-form and video.
The Leeds Health Partnerships team have produced this video featuring representatives from across a wide range of Leeds communities who have had their Covid vaccine.
Languages featured include English, Arabic, Bengali, BSL, Cantonese, Dari, Farsi, Czech, Irish, French, Hindi, Mandarin, Pashto, Polish, Punjabi, Romanian, Slovak, Thai, Turkish, Vietnamese and Urdu.
The briefing identifies three key groups of EU citizens for which NHS healthcare entitlement will differ:
EU citizens who came to the UK before 31/12/20 with status under the EUSS
EU citizens who came to the UK before 31/12/20 without status under the EUSS
EU citizens who came to the UK after 31/12/20
In the briefing, Doctors of the World have also published results of an online survey taken by both EU citizens and supporting organisations:
• 18% of the participants mentioned encountering issues when applying to the EU Settlement Scheme with a large majority mentioning issues with documentation and the website as the key reasons behind their difficulties
• 5% mentioned being asked to prove their immigration status when registering with a GP
• Amongst those asked to prove their immigration status when accessing hospital care, 22% were then unable to receive treatment due to issues in verifying their status
The Leeds Public Health Resource Centre (PHRC) supports anyone with a responsibility for or interest in improving health and wellbeing in Leeds, including students and volunteers.
The PHRC would like to hear your views on their current services, even if you have never used them before. Your feedback will also help shape their services in the future.
Click this link to take the survey and please feel free to share it with other people you know who are interested in improving health and wellbeing in Leeds.
Following the high profile incident in football earlier this week, St John’s Ambulance service, Joe Humphries Memorial Trust and the Resuscitation Council UK have developed an online training course for treating sudden cardiac arrest, funded by Sport England.
This accessible 30 – 45 minute course is designed for anyone involved in sport or physical activity from players to coaches to spectators.
Participants will have access to the online materials for 12 months after enrolling, in order to keep their SCA first aid skills updated.
Ask Doc have added translated videos in Cantonese, Gujarati and Farsi, suggesting that people shouldn’t use lateral flow tests if they have covid symptoms, and explaining what people should do instead.
Student sponsors should also read the student sponsor guidance which sets out the requirements for education providers wishing to apply for a licence to sponsor international students to come to the UK under the student and child student routes.
The purpose of the workshop is to share the findings of the UK SEREDA project, undertaken to understand the nature and incidence of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) experienced by forced migrants residing in the UK, and to work collectively to develop recommendations to help improve the lives of SGBV survivors, build their resilience and reduce vulnerability.
The online workshop will take place on 23 June from 13.00 to 14.30 using the virtual platform Microsoft Teams.
Covid-19 Infographics have published translated versions of an infographic announcing the UK government’s delay to the easing of restrictions, with the date now set for 19th July.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) have released statistics on vaccine hesitancy reported as part of the Opinions and Lifestyle Survey carried out between 26th May and 20th June 2021.
More than 9 in 10 (96%) adults reported positive sentiment towards a coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine, while 4% reported vaccine hesitancy.
The same rates of vaccine hesitancy were reported by women and men (both 4%).
Black or Black British adults had the highest rates of vaccine hesitancy (18%) compared with White adults (4%).
Vaccine hesitancy was higher for adults identifying Muslim (15%) or Other (11%) as their religion, compared with adults who identify as Christian (3%); however, there was no statistically significant difference when compared with any of the remaining religious groups.
Adults living in the most deprived areas of England (based on the Index of Multiple Deprivation) were more likely to report vaccine hesitancy (8%) than adults living in the least deprived areas (3%).
It will include focus sessions on multi-tiered and comprehensive MHPSS Systems & Psychological First Aid, working with refugees to improve mental health, and best practice examples of specialist clinical interventions.
LOHST is a social work practitioner and welfare/support worker survey aiming to understand the specific ways Covid-19 has affected unaccompanied minors and young people’s asylum experience in Britain.
This survey is part of a study, led by the University of Liverpool in collaboration with University College London, Southampton University and the Albanian Support Charity, Shpresa.
It should only take 20 minutes maximum, and there is a chance to win £500 for your organisation. To complete the survey, click on this link.
3.Supporting separated migrant children to thrive during COVID-19
Coram BAAF are taking part in an ESRC funded study ‘Supporting separated migrant children to thrive during COVID-19’. This study is being carried out by the University of Stirling and supported by external partners including the Scottish Guardianship Service (SGS), the Hands Up Project and Terre des Hommes.
Coram are keen to link in with colleagues across the UK who are working with separated migrant children. If you would like to be involved in this study (focus groups will be held in September 2021) please email Dan Murdoch (Daniel.Murdoch@corambaaf.org.uk).
Leeds City Council’s communications team have produced this toolkit pack to support local community engagement with consistent, citywide messaging re COVID-19. The toolkit is hosted on Google Drive, is publicly accessible and can be shared freely with local partners.
Leeds Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) have released date and location information for the NHS vaccination minibus tour. Anyone aged 18 and over can receive a Covid-19 vaccination, their first or their second, without needing to book an appointment first.
Doctors of the World present research into the stories of marginalised people across Europe who have struggled to access healthcare during the Covid-19 pandemic. Further publications are available.
From 1 July 2021, EU, EEA and Swiss citizens and their family members granted status under the EU Settlement Scheme will need to evidence their rights in the UK with their digital immigration status, rather than their passport or ID card. For example, they may need to do this when applying for a job or when renting a property.
We (The Home Office) have published a new guide for EU, EEA and Swiss citizens on viewing and proving their immigration status (eVisa). The guide explains how people can view and prove their immigration status, update their details, what they should expect when crossing the UK border and how to get help accessing their immigration status.
It is important that EU, EEA and Swiss citizens and their family members keep their personal details up to date and inform the Home Office if their travel document changes, using the View and Prove service.
Please share the guide with your networks and signpost EU, EEA and Swiss citizens to it directly for more information.
1. Translated: 5 videos & leaflets explaining the English health system in Arabic
Lancashire County Council commissioned Rethink Rebuild Society to work with experts by experience to create a series of videos and booklets in Arabic that aim to raise awareness about Health System in England amongst Arabic-speaking Refugees.
Work Right in Yorkshire and Humber is a campaign run by the Health & Safety Executive aimed at helping smaller businesses and workers during Covid-19. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety.
There is now the English version of these St. Bart’s Health NHS Trust translations of key facts to help keep people informed about the Covid-19 vaccine.
British Medical Journal have published article on prioritising inclusion health groups for covid-19 vaccination and practical ways to do this by Amy Stevens, available here
Training, events and research
Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month
This year’s Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month theme is ‘Make Some Space’ and Friends, Families and Travellers have created a number of shareable resources.
This research event is of relevance to all those working with, or on behalf of, refugee and asylum-seeking children and youth (Families) across the UK and at a strategic level, e.g. Public Health, service leads, commissioners and those involved in policy.
The event will be held via Microsoft Teams on Wednesday 14th July 2021 at 13:00-14:00 and will cover research conducted by Sarah Hunt.
Voluntary and community sector partners and/or local authority community champions leads are asked to share this training invite to community champions.
“Building on the foundations of the ‘Good Conversations’ workshops run in Yorkshire and Humber, we have commissioned a new Vaccines Conversations workshop aimed at people who are in regular contact with members of the public.
Initially 20 workshops will be delivered aimed at trusted community champions in the North East and Yorkshire and Humber. Subject to demand this offer will be extended to local authority Covid hub/trace teams and health and social care staff.
Each workshop can caterer for 30 people and lasts for 2 hours, dates available from the 15 June to 08th July.
Click here for further information and booking links.
Kirklees Council and Migration Yorkshire are delivering an introduction to migration training session
Date: 16 June 2021
Time: 09:30 – 12:00 BST
Aims of the day
To provide an overview of migration in Kirklees for officers, managers, frontline staff and partners of the Council.
Aimed at:
Officers, managers, frontline staff and partners responsible for both strategic and operational management and frontline service delivery;
Officers, managers, frontline staff and partners representing diverse communities;
Officers, managers, frontline staff and partners who may have no or little knowledge on migration issues;
Officers, managers, frontline staff and partners who want to increase their understanding of migration issues in the area.
By the end of the course participants will:
Understand different types of migrant groups and different routes of entry to the UK
Understand the patterns of migration in the local area and the region and the impact this has on service delivery
Understand some of the key current issues relating to migration
Understand some of the challenges that can affect migrants and communities with migrants and how Councils and other services may respond to some of these challenges.
Understand the support available in Kirklees through #KirkleesWelcomes
The event can be accessed from Zoom or Skype for Business
For further information, please contact Abed Moubayed abed.moubayed@kirklees.gov.uk. Tel no: 01484 221000
Leeds NHS and South Asian Arts-uk have produceda light-hearted, co-produced video encouraging people to have the COVID-19 vaccine – and to spread the word in their community to encourage others to do the same.
Ask Doc have created translated videos suggesting that people shouldn’t use lateral flow tests if they have covid symptoms, and explaining what people should do instead.
The NHS in Leeds has teamed up with South Asian Arts-uk, a Leeds-based charity, to co-produce a light-hearted video which encourages people to continue to come forward to have their COVID-19 vaccine.
Sam Prince, Executive Director of Operations for the Leeds Covid Vaccination Programme, said; “Working in partnership with South Asian Arts-uk, we’ve jointly produced a video to encourage people to have their vaccine if they haven’t already done so. Across the district, 403,970 people have now received their first dose of the vaccine and 235,477 have been fully vaccinated[i]. This is great news, but our work is not done as we need everyone who is eligible for the vaccine to book their appointment without delay.
“It’s important that people continue to keep their appointments for their second dose, so that we can keep moving forward with the vaccination programme. Our goal is to offer every adult their vaccine by the end of July.”
Dr Mitul Patel, GP in Leeds and a Member Representative for NHS Leeds Clinical Commissioning Group, said; “The short video clip sends out a strong message about getting vaccinated and will resonate with a lot of people. A lot of us have lost loved ones to this awful virus but having the vaccine will help protect us – not just us, but our families and communities too. That’s why I’m making a plea: if you’re eligible for the vaccine, please book your appointment as soon as possible.
“The vaccines are safe and effective and are our best hope to return to normal life. If you have questions about the vaccine, please speak to a healthcare professional who will give you trusted and accurate information.”
Keranjeet Kaur Virdee, Chief Executive at South Asian Arts-uk, said; “People featured in this video are from Leeds and took up the vaccines when they were eligible to have the jab. The NHS in Leeds want to continue to build confidence in the COVID-19 vaccine amongst Leeds residents. We hope that this video will inspire everyone to do that.”
Issued by the communications team at NHS Leeds CCG. You can contact the team on 0113 84 35528 or 0113 84 35470. Alternatively, please email us: leedsccg.comms@nhs.net
Huge thanks to DASH volunteers who recorded their own messages after taking the vaccine to encourage their communities to take the vaccine and fight the virus.
We had a lot of thinking and processing to do from all of the learning described above. We started to make some draft changes to the Toolkit (see below), but before making anything public, we tested these ideas out with our primary users/target users: people currently navigating the asylum and immigration system.
We tested out different versions of titles for sections of the guide. We asked people if they preferred pages with or without “accordion boxes” (dropdown panels that expand to reveal more text when you click on them). We asked people about how they would navigate different topics to find the information they need. This is called “usability testing”, or “user testing”.
In a usability-testing session <Toolkit guide usability testing> , a researcher “asks a participant to perform tasks, usually using one or more specific user interfaces. While the participant completes each task, the researcher observes the participant’s behavior and listens for feedback.” We carried out these sessions using zoom, with some of the asylum support groups we work with sourcing participants. It was fortunate that this element of our project was very easy to conduct online, which wasn’t what we had planned pre-pandemic.
The different pages of the Toolkit website have been renamed so that they are clearer to people looking at google search results.
Some of the language has changed because we are no longer assuming that people see the guide as an overarching resource – each page and its information should stand alone.
Clearer language, clearer audience. We hope it’s speaking more directly to people who are navigating the process – and uses more of the words that people use themselves to describe this process – while still of course being of use to those supporting other people to go through the process.
For more detailed information about guide click below:
We’ve separated out some pages that had previously been collected together because we thought that people would use the Toolkit website following a vaguely chronological pattern. We know now that that generally isn’t the case.
We’ve also made some pages more specific to asylum, or immigration. We now have separate pages for entering the UK, depending on whether you are looking for information about immigration, or asylum (a page called “Visas
No charges for coronavirus (COVID-19) testing, treatment and vaccination
Overseas visitors to England, including anyone living in the UK without permission, will not be charged for:
testing for COVID-19 (even if the test shows they do not have COVID-19)
treatment for COVID-19, including for a related problem called multisystem inflammatory syndrome that affects some children
vaccination against COVID-19
No immigration checks are needed for overseas visitors if they are only tested, treated or vaccinated for COVID-19.
Accessing COVID-19 vaccination without an NHS number
Individuals do not require an NHS number or GP registration to receive the COVID-19 vaccination and should not be denied vaccination on this basis. Individuals who do not have an NHS number or are not registered with a GP are still entitled to free COVID-19 vaccinations.
While registration with a GP is encouraged to access the vaccine, individuals can request to book COVID-19 vaccination appointments as an unregistered patient through a local GP practice.
Local outreach services are available in some areas to provide COVID-19 vaccination to those who are eligible but have difficulties accessing vaccination.
If an individual has an NHS number, they can find it through this online tool.
The International Organization for Migration has set up the COVID-19 Migrant Information Service, which provides multilingual information on COVID-19 measures and support in the UK context. The aim is to support migrants who may face language barriers when reading complex information. The information is available in 5 languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic and Romanian. It relates to 5 important areas of everyday life that have been significantly affected by COVID-19: health, employment, benefits, housing and immigration.
NaTHNaC also provides up to date overseas travel health information.
Vitamin D
There have been some reports about vitamin D potentially reducing the risk of coronavirus (COVID-19). NICE, Public Health England and the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition have undertaken robust assessments of the available evidence on vitamin D and COVID-19. They have concluded that currently, there is not enough evidence to solely treat or prevent COVID-19, except as part of a clinical trial. For further information, see the NICE COVID-19 rapid guideline on vitamin D.
In addition to existing guidance on vitamin D supplementation, adults, young people and children over 4 years should consider taking a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms (400 units) of vitamin D throughout the year if they have little or no sunshine exposure because they are spending most of their time indoors during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kirklees Council have produced videos, recorded at the Hudawi Community Centre, one of Kirklees community testing sites, explaining how to carry out a lateral flow test.
The videos include audio in English and a translation in text in the following languages:
#KirkleesWelcomes Community Connectors who have had the vaccine are developing their own messages to share with migrant communities to encourage others to take up the offer of the vaccine.
‘This article reports age-standardised rates of death involving the coronavirus (COVID-19) by religious group and uses statistical models to adjust for location, measures of disadvantage, occupation, living arrangements, and pre-existing health conditions. It compares the risk of COVID-19 mortality in two discrete periods aligned to each wave of the pandemic.’
The Refugee Council’s England-wide Infoline service will extend, at this stage, until 31st July, please see below for updated service information.
Service updates
Live service Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays between 10.30-1pm and 2pm-4.30pm. To contact the Infoline and speak to the team, call free phone 0808 196 7272
The Infoline has a small casework service. The priority is for those who are unable to access alternative local support, and where a short-term intervention around housing, financial support, accessing health care or accessing legal advice is likely to avoid or resolve crisis. Referrals are through the Infoline.
If you would like to contact the team for any reason, including with additional service information, to refer with consent, or relating to enquiries, the team email address is infoline@refugeecouncil.org.uk.
Infoline directory of services
If your service delivery has recently changed or you want to be added to our signposting directory, please complete this short form to update us with your service information, to make sure that we hold and give out the information you wish us to, including around service capacity.
