Despite a hospital examination, the cause of her illness has still not been identified. According to east London GP Duncan Trathen, the shortage of doctors in many parts of the UK adds to the troubles of asylum seekers like Josalyn. We've had a lot of stories from asylum seekers who've been manacled around the ankles and some people who've been hung upside down for periods of time. Angela Burnett of the Medical Foundation for Victims of torture agreed that torture was a growing concern. She said the number of people referred to them had increased dramatically.
Torture is something which has probably been underreported in the past.
Dr Burnett said that although refugees tended to have a higher incidence of some diseases like tuberculosis, they should not be stigmatised. They shouldn't be looked upon as merely being carriers of infection and certainly testing should be available and follow-ups should be available. Dispersal The government's policy of dispersing asylum seekers around the UK presents another challenge to health care access, according to Emma Williams of the Breathing Space project. Duncan Trathen said some practices, including his own centre, give patients hand-held records, a brief summary of medical problems and what the treatments are. Emma Williams said some refugees' mental health was not improved by treatment from some members of the public.