Some research has indicated that asylum seekers are five times more likely to have mental health needs than the general population and more than 61% will experience serious mental distress.
The Mental Health Charity Mind has published a Mental Health Commissioner Guidance leaflet to help "empower one of society’s most vulnerable groups to get the most appropriate and accessible healthcare required; at the right time, at the right place and in the right way."
Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme (SVPR)
The WMSMP has made a useful summarization of the government's recent Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme, which aims to relocate 20,000 Syrian refugees in Britain by 2020.
Entitlement to NHS treatment
A person who has formally applied for asylum is entitled to NHS treatment without charge, so long as their application is under consideration, or they are appealing a decision. This entitlement includes registering with a GP.
Failed asylum seekers are generally not entitled to free treatment. However, the DH guidance makes it clear that immediately necessary treatment to save life or prevent a condition from becoming life threatening should always be given to failed asylum seekers without delay, irrespective of their eligibility for free treatment or ability to pay.
