A reflection on the NHS, health security, and refugees

Abstract

In 2021 a sudden influx of refugees arrived in the UK from Afghanistan, at a time when the British public were being encouraged to access healthcare services to obtain COVID-19 vaccinations. This report examines the successes and failures of care provision in the NHS across the country, in particular Wolverhampton, whereby refugees accessed healthcare provision in a local Primary Care Network. The report considers the author’s personal experiences while working within the local Primary Care Network, in addition to published research, in the context of health security. Furthermore, it highlights recommended improvements within the NHS to provide aid to the vulnerable, while preserving the system set out to create health security.