Mustafa* is a 42-year-old Sudanese man who spent five years making the difficult journey to the UK, including time in a forced labour camp and several dangerous sea crossings. Each time he reached a new country, he said, he was met with more problems. Since claiming asylum in the UK nine months ago, he has been moved to new accommodation three times.
Mustafa's appointment took place at his accommodation, where he had been for the last two months. Using a telephone translator, he explained that he was distressed. He has diabetes and has run out of medication. He is still registered with a GP on the other side of London and did not feel confident travelling there to get his prescription. He had tried to phone his GP, but no-one could understand him. 
During his appointment with RESPOND, Mustafa was asked about his journey, his medical history and his mental health. He was very worried about his blood sugar control and described a three-year history of abdominal pain.
He reported that he had lost a stone in weight over the last year. He said he had frequent nightmares about his past experiences and that he found himself tearful and frustrated most of the time. This was made worse by the fact that no-one around him spoke his dialect.
Blood, urine and stool samples were taken. The RESPOND team were able to support him to register with a local GP and made him an urgent appointment within a week. This appointment was facilitated by a Sudanese-Arabic interpreter and his diabetes was reviewed. He was able to discuss his nightmares, and his GP made an onward referral to the appropriate mental health team.
Mustafa tested positive for schistosomiasis and was seen by the specialist Tropical Diseases clinic at UCLH’s Hospital for Tropical Diseases for treatment. After a few weeks, he and his GP received an integrated healthcare plan in the post, documenting his results and plan, meaning he wouldn’t need to repeat this information if his accommodation changed again.
* Mustafa is a fictional character, whose experience is based on that of people commonly seen in our clinics.
