PATIENTS NOT PASSPORTS: Migrants Access to Healthcare During the Coronavirus Crisis | June 2020 Lack of access to phones, phone credit, IT is a major barrier to people getting information. We have had to move our services online and to the phone rather than face to face - phone or and WiFi access is absolutely essential but far from universal.” Most asylum seekers have no access to the internet, neither do they have a TV or radio so they are in the dark and don’t know how to access healthcare during coronavirus.” The lack of formal guidance reaching migrant communities seems to have presented new opportunities for inaccurate information to circulate. Respondents report individuals being reluctant to attend appointments for blood tests or tuberculosis testing due to a misguided understanding of current advice. Others report “information spreading around that they are better off at home than in hospital”, often without a clear or formal reference point for such information. 3.2.2 Limited access to services Language barriers and digital exclusion are also significant additional hurdles for many migrants attempting to register for, book, and access services during the coronavirus crisis. The lack of online access means that many are unable to attend virtual appointments and consultations, or access the medications they need. Our clients near enough all have a phone, but they don’t have very much money for data. And even for phone calls, hanging on the end of a phone line that is costing them money is a real issue. They often drop in and out of having enough money on their phones. So the GP calls them back two hours later and they’ve run out of phone credit. Really little things like that make it very, very difficult.” Some people have been offered video consultations but do not have laptops or WiFi that would allow them to take this up.” Respondents report that the people they were supporting have “no access to [the] internet or laptop to renew prescriptions”, and their “GP [is] requesting video consultation to order prescriptions - requiring a smart phone and internet access”. Respondents also report that housing conditions for many migrants compound the difficulties of accessing care online as WiFi is rarely provided in asylum accommodation, and crowded conditions mean that confidentially sharing medical information in these settings can be difficult. As most healthcare appointments are now happening via telephone/ videoconferencing, this is proving a significant barrier for our clients who often do not have access to smart phones/ internet or do not have adequate privacy to discuss healthcare concerns due to shared/ cramped accommodation.” For those that do have access to a phone or computer, language barriers are exacerbated by online and telephone formats. Prior to the crisis, many would overcome the language barrier by physically visiting GP surgeries with friends or family who could translate for them, or attempt to be understood until an interpreter could be located. Online services, by comparison, are exceptionally difficult for people who do not speak English: 22