Access to
Healthcare Services
"Access to medical treatment is a vital, basic need: survivors are injured mentally and often physically. They need the right mental and physical healthcare services so they can recover. Without medical treatment, injuries, illnesses, depression and anxiety can get much worse."
This outcome is about ensuring that survivors have access to adequate services to meet their health needs. This includes having access to dental treatment. It requires, for example, having sufficient funds for transport to attend appointments and funding for therapy if this is not freely available. It also includes being registered with a GP and it could include access to culturally appropriate support. There is a desperate need for therapists to specialise in evidence-based trauma therapy to help survivors. Specific group therapies should exist for survivors to complement individual therapy.
Survivor account on access to medical treatments and healthcare services
Brook's account on training for healthcare professionals, and lack of access to services
I was lucky I was spotted as a person being exploited by a doctor at the Accident & Emergency (A&E). He sent notes to my GP, who sent me an urgent appointment. After chatting with me, the GP gave me a text with a link and helped me to self-refer to mental health services. I then received a letter with instructions to follow up with a telephone assessment. My rescue was a smooth one because the mental health nurse knew how to get all the real information from me about my situation without causing me alarm. She suspected I was a victim of trafficking and helped me to get help.
At first the support workers offered to accompany me to healthcare services, which is a great support, not only for people who do not speak English well, but equally for survivors like me, who are ill and injured, who have difficulty with mobility for any reason, or are nervous and lack confidence. Unfortunately, they soon stopped accompanying me so I had to manage things myself. Then, when I was hospitalised for 5 days, all my mental health appointments were discontinued, and my mental health deteriorated as a result. I became withdrawn; I was crying, not eating or coming out of my room.
It would be good in the future if information is passed on or transferred from first responders in the town that we are rescued from, to the town that we are taken to, for our safety and so we can get help quickly. I was abused for over 10 years, and after all of this time, I have only just got access to a pain management psychologist.