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Better care for asylum seekers with HIV

By Fizza Qureshi

2 February 2006, 12:00pm

The National AIDS Trust (NAT) has welcomed a decision by the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) to amend its policy on the dispersal of asylum seekers with healthcare needs.

In a recent report, NAT highlights the problem that dispersal brings in terms of healthcare needs of asylum seekers with HIV and welcome the December 2005 decision by NASS to alter its policies to take such needs into consideration.

A new policy bulletin by NASS addresses these concerns and suggests it will now delay dispersal if an asylum seeker is found to be HIV positive. It has also stated that dispersal can only take place if the treating clinician is satisfied that there will be no disruption of treatment and adequate provisions will be in place for continuity of care. Alongside this, those providing accommodation to asylum seekers with HIV will have a responsibility to ensure they are registered with a GP.

The Institute of Race Relations is precluded from expressing a corporate view: any opinions expressed are therefore those of the authors.

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