Identifying Factors Limiting Refugee Access to Healthcare and Potential Measures Which Combat Them.

The number of asylum seekers and refugees (ASRs) worldwide has doubled within the last ten years. This dramatic increase has resulted in an influx of ASRs into the UK, many of which requiring healthcare. However, despite their vulnerability to mental and physical health conditions, the forcibly displaced population are found to struggle when accessing health services. The aim of this study was to review the existing literature on ASR access to healthcare, identify any barriers which may impact its utilisation, and to propose measures which may improve its use. A literature search was conducted on three research databases to find relevant qualitative studies with a focus on barriers to refugee healthcare. Studies were included in this review if they were published in the last five years, conducted within the UK, focused on ASR populations, discussed accessibility to healthcare and collected qualitative data. Ten studies were identified, and they highlighted several common themes which hinder ASR access to healthcare: lack of information, communication, accessibility, affordability, health literacy, cultural differences, prioritisation, transience, intersectionality, and psychological factors. Various methods were proposed to tackle these barriers including adequate ASR training for healthcare staff, the availability of translated information, community outreach programmes, and specialist ASR services. In conclusion, ASRs face a multitude of difficulties when accessing healthcare, and future research should focus on the implementation of the measures proposed to follow their effect on ASR utilisation of healthcare.