Please add your name and organisation if possible to the letter below.  Thank you.

Dear Dr Kent

Please accept this email as a formal request from the signatory campaign groups to Oxfordshire CCG to support the implementation of the Doctor's of the World "Safe Surgeries" scheme across Oxfordshire's GP practices.

Safe Surgeries is a network of GP practices committed to tackling barriers preventing access to primary care, and to promoting the health of everyone in their community – regardless of their nationality or immigration status. This could include pregnant women,  survivors of trafficking, and people who have fled war.  At a minimum, this means practices declaring themselves a ‘Safe Surgery’ for everyone and ensuring that lack of ID or proof of address, immigration status or language are not barriers to patient registration.

We believe the adoption of Safe Surgeries would help to counter the health inequalities and institutional racism highlighted in numerous reports and most recently expressed by the Black Lives Matter movement.

We hope that Oxfordshire CCG welcomes this opportunity to contribute to ensuring that no-one in Oxfordshire is excluded from GP services.


Signed:
Oxford Stand Up To Racism
Oxfordshire UNISON Health branch


Safe Surgeries follow seven key stops to make their services more accessible:

    Safe Surgeries don’t refuse to register patients who do not provide proof of address documentation
    They don’t insist on proof of identification
    They never ask to see a visa or proof of immigration status
    Both clinical and non-clinical staff do what they can to reassure patients that their personal information is safe
    They use an interpreter, if needed
    They display posters to reassure patients that the surgery is a safe space
    They empower frontline staff with training and an inclusive registration policy.