A new online information tool for everyone working in primary healthcare, launched today, aims to ensure new migrants receive the same access to healthcare as everyone else.

migrant.health is the result of a collaboration involving Doctors of the World (DOTW) UK, the University of Sheffield and Yoomee. 

It offers practical support and information to help primary care professionals care for migrants, particularly those in vulnerable circumstances.

Migrant health has factsheets covering areas such as healthcare entitlement, how to guides, the facility to share ‘bright ideas’, links to national resources and a community platform to ask and respond to colleagues.

Response

Dr Lu Hiam, an NHS GP and DOTW UK’s Health Advisor, emphasised the importance of having an online community for healthcare professionals.

"As a GP, there is so much to stay up-to-date on," Dr Hiam said. "We hope the migrant.health tool will be a one-stop site for quick answers before, during and after a consultation with migrant patients."

"We wanted to create a user-friendly platform that provided a space to share knowledge and experiences in an accessible and supportive way”.

Funded by the Health Foundation’s Evidence to Practice fund, the tool has been shaped by the finding of a formative study carried out by Dr Elizabeth Such from the University of Sheffield. The research looked at how and why primary healthcare is adapting its services to the needs of new migrants.

Dr Such said: “migrant.health shows the strength of research and practice working together to co-create a tool that we hope will ultimately improve people’s health."

"From our research we know that GPs are innovating and tailoring practice to meet the needs of new arrivals. This tool now helps them further make informed decisions and derive good practice”. 

Nicola Mayer, Research Director at Yoomee, a social enterprise, added: "This online platform brings new and innovative ways for healthcare professionals to address the needs of migrants and ensure equity of access to healthcare."

"The project is a brilliant example of partners drawn from different sectors coming together and harnessing the power of new tech / digital service to create a tool that is accessible to GP’s across the country."