The NHS has confirmed that asylum seekers housed at an army camp in East Sussex will be registered with local GPs.
In October the Home Office announced that 600 people would be temporarily housed at a training camp on the outskirts of Crowborough.
The Home Office said military sites were being reviewed to reduce the impact on society and improve outcomes for taxpayers.
A Sussex NHS spokesman said it was working to ensure it “supports the urgent and urgent health needs of this community without impacting on the health and care services available to all Sussex residents”.
The National Health Service is required by law to provide health services to asylum seekers. [Getty Images]
The National Health Service is required by law to provide health services to asylum seekers.
NHS Sussex said that in line with this requirement it was “developing plans to provide specific health services for this community”.
“This will be a bespoke service, primarily focused on primary care services, and will be offered both on-site and virtually,” the spokesperson added.
“People will be registered with their local GP for any specialist care that may be required, but primary care support will be provided through a bespoke service.”
Wealden District Council previously called on the Home Office to cancel plansclaiming it has “completely failed” to engage with the community or provide guarantees of protection for both asylum seekers and local residents.
Local authorities expressed concerns about “camp staffing, police provision and additional strain on already overstretched government services.”
A government spokesman told the BBC it was “furious at the level of illegal migrants and asylum hotels.”
“We are working closely with local authorities, property partners and other government entities to expedite the project,” the spokesperson said.
He added that NHS treatment priority was determined by clinical need rather than asylum status.
“NHS organizations are encouraged to engage with vulnerable groups of people who might otherwise be unable to seek help when they need it, and in some cases this may include asylum seekers,” it said.
“This early intervention work is important to ensure people have access to whatever treatment they need, when they need it, in the most appropriate setting, rather than them developing a more serious condition at a later stage, putting additional pressure on emergency services such as A&E.”
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