Written question asked by Austin Mitchell (Labour) on Monday, 23 April 2001, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Friday, 27 April 2001. It was answered by Barbara Roche (Labour) on Friday, 27 April 2001 on behalf of the Home Office.

Home Office

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if asylum seekers are given health checks; if they are treated for (a) TB, (b) AIDS and (c) other infectious diseases; and what arrangements are made for maintaining such treatment when asylum seekers are dispersed by private sector accommodation providers.

Answer: Mr. Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if asylum seekers are given health checks; if they are treated for (a) TB, (b) AIDS and (c) other infectious diseases; and what arrangements are made for maintaining such treatment when asylum seekers are dispersed by private sector accommodation providers. [158919] Mrs. Roche: Asylum seekers are eligible for free treatment by a General Practitioner (GP) and hospital care on the same basis as anyone else eligible to receive National Health Service treatment. Health authorities are encouraged to make contact with asylum seekers and to offer them screening for tuberculosis. The National Asylum Support Service is responsible for destitute asylum seekers and, where they give consent, is able to pass their names and addresses on to the health authority responsible for the area to which they are dispersed. Both the accommodation provider and the local one stop service will assist the asylum seekers with registration with a GP.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 367 c434W; 158919
Session: 2000-01
Subjects: Asylum Infectious diseases HIV/AIDS Medical treatments National Asylum Support Service Refugees Screening Tuberculosis
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk