General Information

Contents

Section Icon Self-care

There are a lot of things that you can do to look after your own health and prevent yourself from becoming unwell. Many illnesses or symptoms can be treated at home with the help of a well-stocked medicine cabinet and plenty of rest.

Section Icon NHS Choices and NHS 111

If you’re not sure what kind of care you need, you’ll find lots of useful information and a free symptom checker online at NHS.uk. You can also ring 111 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for free confidential advice and information.

Section Icon Pharmacies

Your local pharmacist / chemist will be happy to advise you on common illnesses and the medicines you need to treat them.

Section Icon GPs

Your own GP is the best person to speak to about persistent health problems and illnesses that won’t go away. Your GP will make sure you are up to date with your immunisations, and will also ensure you are invited to be screened for a number of conditions, depending on your age and gender

Section Icon Out-of-hours / GP Service

When your own GP surgery is closed, you can access the out-of-hours service. The 111 service will be able to help you if you need to see a GP urgently in the evening or at a weekend.

Section Icon Emergency dental care

We do recommend that you find a regular dentist, and you can find one through NHS 111.  If you do not have a regular dentist and you need emergency care you should contact 111.

Section Icon Emergency Department or 999

Emergency Department and 999 services provide emergency care for people who have symptoms of serious illness or are badly injured.

Maternity

The Migration Team works in partnership with UHCW Maternity Unit and our dedicated Refugee and Asylum Seeker Midwife will care for you throughout your pregnancy and when your baby is newly born and up to 6 weeks old. 

Bringing children into the world is amazing!

Our dedicated Asylum and Refugee Midwife, Emma Kay, is supporting all pregnant Refugees or Asylum Seekers up to when your baby is 10 weeks old.

Emma will meet with you to discuss your individual care needs and guide you through your pregnancy.

If you need anything please email: maternalRASreferrals@UHCW.NHS.UK

A midwife is a healthcare professional who cares for you and your health needs. 

If you are pregnant and have not yet spoken to a doctor, health visitor or midwife, please let a HARP Community Connector know as soon as possible! We can chat to you about keeping your baby and yourself healthy and refer you to your dedicated midwife.

Babies do not stop moving towards the end of the pregnancy, please call the ‘Labour Ward’ on 024 7669 67333, open 24 hours, 7 days a week.

Keeping your children and yourself healthy is a must, so if you are pregnant, please don’t be afraid to see a doctor or go to hospital, it is for you and your child’s benefit.

If you are pregnant, you are entitled to maternity medical care. 

Entitlements

Please speak to your midwife or Migration Team contact about your entitlement to free West Midlands Travel while you are pregnant, to assist you in getting to appointments and general wellbeing.

If you need a baby car seat to leave the hospital, let your midwife know.

  • Everything you tell a midwife or your doctor is confidential- they can be trusted

  • Please ask your midwife if you would prefer a female doctor and we’ll try our best. Female chaperones are always available.

  • Free healthcare

  • Please book with a healthcare professional before you get to 10 weeks pregnant to keep your baby healthy in the womb. Too many new mums-to-be don’t go to the doctors until much later and it’s more difficult to identify how to keep you and your baby safe.

  • UHCW Hospital dedicated Refugee and Asylum Seeker midwife is there to guide you throughout your pregnancy, please trust that she knows what she’s doing.

  • If you are feeling ill or feel like something is wrong, please contact your midwife, GP or labour triage and they will be able to help you.

Email Address: maternalRASreferrals@UHCW.NHS.UK

Labour Ward phone number: 024 7669 67333. This line is open 24 hours, 7 days a week.

Maternity vaccinations

Some vaccines, such as the inactivated seasonal flu vaccine and the whooping cough vaccine, are recommended during pregnancy to protect the health of you and your baby.

If a vaccine uses a live version of the virus, such as the MMR vaccine, you’ll usually be advised to wait until after your baby is born before you get vaccinated.

Sometimes, a live vaccine may be used during pregnancy if the risk of infection is greater than the risk of the vaccination. Your midwife, GP or pharmacist can give you more advice about vaccinations during pregnancy.

Live vaccines include:

  • BCG (vaccination against tuberculosis)

  • MMR (measles, mumps and rubella)

  • Oral Polio (which forms part of the 6-in-1 vaccine given to infants)

  • Oral Typhoid

  • Yellow Fever

After the HealthWatch reported about maternity issues in Refugees and Asylum Seekers, we knew that we had to help reduce any issues that stopped newly arrived women from receiving the maternity healthcarethey need and deserved.

Improving maternity care | Healthwatch Coventry: Identified issues and how we have supported the improvement of referrals, language barriers, communications between agencies, and overall giving holistic support for soon to be and new mums.

Resources