New report examines the experiences of pregnant migrant women receiving ante/peri and postnatal care in the UK
A new report by Doctors of the World UK says that neglect and fear is creating a disastrous atmosphere for pregnant migrants.
You can read the report, Experiences of Pregnant Migrant Women receiving Ante/Peri and Postnatal Care in the UK: A Doctors of the World Report on the Experiences of attendees at their London Drop-In Clinic, here.
According to a press release, Doctors of the World UK found in the report that two-thirds of pregnant users of its London drop-in clinic had not received antenatal care until their second trimester, and half had no care for 20 weeks or longer.
Most of those seen at the clinic are undocumented migrants or asylum seekers.
Doctors of the World UK said pregnant migrants feared high fees, arrest and deportation if they tried to access care. Nearly a third of women in the report were billed for their maternity care, one as much as £6,000.
One woman featured in the report lost her premature child after not having any antenatal care for the first seven months of her pregnancy and was billed more than £2,600 upon leaving hospital.
Janet Fyle, a policy advisor at the Royal College of Midwives, was quoted as saying. "Many of these women are already vulnerable and destitute, unable to meet the cost of their own basic needs, but they are asked to pay for general medical care."
The report also found that a majority of the pregnant women interviewed did not have access to a GP. A number of them said that they had tried to register with a GP but were turned away for lack of identification, even though the NHS categorises maternity care as immediately necessary treatment which cannot be denied on any grounds.
The report warns that the Immigration Act 2014 is likely to cause further confusion and hostility toward undocumented migrants.
One of the authors of the report was quoted by Doctors of the World UK as saying: "These findings indicate an unacceptable inequality in our health system … We must continue to improve access to healthcare for all mothers regardless of their wealth or immigration status."
The report warns that lack of care increases the likelihood of complications, including low birth weight, pre-term delivery and higher rates of perinatal mortality.