Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to provide (a) mental health support and (b) other health support for refugees arriving from Afghanistan.
On 27 August, NHS England and NHS Improvement advised all local commissioners to facilitate general practitioner registration for all individuals arriving from Afghanistan and an enhanced health assessment to identify and manage families’ immediate health and care requirements.
The assessment should cover trauma and safeguarding concerns, mental health needs, women’s and children’s health, long-term conditions, areas of public health concern, vaccinations and ensuring pathways to other priority services such as maternity, child health services, dental and eye care. Individuals requiring more specialist or extensive mental health support will be referred onto relevant services.