G491(P) Increasing awareness of modern slavery among healthcare professionals

Abstract

Aims Modern slavery encompasses slavery, servitude, forced and compulsory labour and human trafficking. In 2017, there were 6,837 potential victims in the UK; around 31% (2,121) were children. From March 2017 to 2018, police in England and Wales recorded 3,337 modern slavery offences, a 49% increase compared to the previous year. One in five victims encountered healthcare services during the time they were being trafficked, yet many healthcare professionals know little about modern slavery. My research aims to identify the extent of these gaps in the training of healthcare professionals. Methods A literature review was conducted using the search terms, ‘modern slavery’ OR ‘human trafficking’ AND ‘healthcare’. Results 303 papers were identified in Pubmed, 36 in Ovid. The search was then refined with: ‘humans’, ‘full text’ and ‘English language’, which identified 240 papers. 15 papers were selected with relevant title and abstract, focusing on the healthcare professional’s role in identifying victims of modern slavery. A cross-sectional study found that although 91% (n=697) of healthcare professionals agreed that they have a responsibility to respond to suspected cases of human trafficking, 87% did not know how to identify these victims and 78% thought they had not received sufficient training to deal with such situations. Within medical education, 72% of UK medical schools did not provide any teaching on the subject and 70% had no plans to implement this teaching. These results overwhelmingly highlight the gap in medical education and suggest that healthcare workers would like more training on human trafficking, including the management of suspected cases. Conclusion Overall, my research has highlighted the limited knowledge of healthcare professionals and the need for increased teaching on modern slavery to improve confidence among the healthcare community in identifying victims and reporting concerns. I would like to continue to raise awareness during my medical career and I believe that training on modern slavery should be mandatory for all healthcare professionals. Further to this, I have had a meeting with tutors from my medical school to ensure that teaching on this subject is added to the undergraduate curriculum.