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  • Breadcrumb

    1. Home
    2. Government, citizens and rights
    3. Living in Northern Ireland
    4. Asylum seekers and refugees
    5. Asylum seekers and refugees: accessing services

    Asylum seekers and refugees: accessing health care

    Information on health and social care services for people seeking asylum and people with refugee/humanitarian protection status in Northern Ireland.

    Health care

    Health Care in Northern Ireland is usually free of charge. However, if you have newly arrived, there may be some charges depending on your circumstances.

    The Health and Social Care (HSC) website has information to help you get the health and social care services you need. It includes information about dentists, maternity services, interpreters, emergency care and much more:

    • Access to health and social care

    There is also information about health services in the following nidirect section:

    • Health services

    General Practitioners (GPs)

    In Northern Ireland, local or family doctors are called General Practitioners or GPs. They are usually the first point of contact for getting medical care.

    You should register with a GP as soon as you arrive in Northern Ireland. Don't wait until you need health or social care services.

    To use health and social care services, you must be registered with a local GP surgery.

    You can find out more about what GPs do and search for your closest GP at the following links:

    • Find a GP practice
    • Your local doctor (GP)

    Find out more about registering with a doctor, including the forms you need to fill in:

    • General public information – GP Registrations

    COVID-19 vaccinations

    If you have not received your COVID-19 vaccinations, or only received in part, you may wish to find out how to get a COVID vaccine in Northern Ireland.

    Details on how to get a COVID vaccine are available at the following link:  

    • Get a COVID-19 vaccination and booster in Northern Ireland 

    Organ donation

    The law around organ and tissue donation in Northern Ireland has changed to an opt-out system. Find out more at:

    • Changes to the law - Organ Donation Northern Ireland

    Get free period products

    Free period products are available in all public libraries, including mobile libraries, for all who need to use them. 

    You can collect period products for yourself or for someone else, for example family members or friends - or someone else can collect them for you.

    There are different types of products to choose from and you can take as many as you need.

    • Free period products

    More useful links

    • Health services
    • Sexual health
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    Asylum seekers and refugees: accessing services

    • Asylum seekers and refugees: accessing health care
    • Asylum seekers and refugees: applying for benefits
    • Asylum seekers and refugees: education and childcare
    • Asylum seekers and refugees: getting a job
    • Help for victims of modern slavery and human trafficking

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    What to do next

    Comments or queries about angling can be emailed to anglingcorrespondence@daera-ni.gov.uk 

    If you have a comment or query about benefits, you will need to contact the government department or agency which handles that benefit.  Contacts for common benefits are listed below.

    Carer's Allowance

    Call 0800 587 0912
    Email 
    dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

    Discretionary support / Short-term benefit advance

    Call 0800 587 2750 
    Email 
    customerservice.unit@communities-ni.gov.uk

    Disability Living Allowance

    Call 0800 587 0912 
    Email dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

    Employment and Support Allowance

    Call 0800 587 1377

    Jobseeker’s Allowance

    Contact your local Jobs & Benefits office

    Personal Independence Payment

    Call 0800 587 0932

    If your query is about another benefit, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

    Comments or queries about the Blue Badge scheme can be emailed to bluebadges@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk or you can also call 0300 200 7818.

    For queries or advice about careers, contact the Careers Service.

    For queries or advice about Child Maintenance, contact the Child Maintenance Service.

    For queries or advice about claiming compensation due to a road problem, contact DFI Roads claim unit.

    If you can’t find the information you’re looking for in the Coronavirus (COVID-19) section, then for queries about:

    • Restrictions or regulations — contact the Department of Health
    • Travel advice (including self-isolation) — contact the Department of Health
    • Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccinations — contact the Department of Health or Public Health Agency

    If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

    For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk and for queries about your certificate, email covidcertni@hscni.net.

    For queries or advice about criminal record checks, email ani@accessni.gov.uk

    Application and payment queries can be emailed to ema_ni@slc.co.uk

    For queries or advice about employment rights, contact the Labour Relations Agency.

    For queries or advice about birth, death, marriage and civil partnership certificates and research, contact the General Register Office Northern Ireland (GRONI) by email gro_nisra@finance-ni.gov.uk

    For queries about your GRONI account, email gro_nisra@finance-ni.gov.uk.

    For queries about the High Street Spend Local Scheme,  email HSSS.mail@economy-ni.gov.uk.

    For queries about:

    • Car tax, vehicle registration and SORN
      contact the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), Swansea
       
    • Driver licensing and tests, MOT and vehicle testing
      contact the Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA), Northern Ireland

    If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

    For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk.

     

    For queries or advice about passports, contact HM Passport Office.

    For queries or advice about Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs), including parking tickets and bus lane PCNs, email dcu@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk

    For queries or advice about pensions, contact the Northern Ireland Pension Centre.

    If you wish to report a problem with a road or street you can do so online in this section.

    If you wish to check on a problem or fault you have already reported, contact DfI Roads.

    For queries or advice about historical, social or cultural records relating to Northern Ireland, use the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) enquiry service.

    For queries or advice about rates, email LPSCustomerTeam@lpsni.gov.uk

    For queries or advice about  60+ and Senior Citizen SmartPasses (which can be used to get concessionary travel on public transport), contact Smartpass - Translink.

    If you have a question about a government service or policy, you should contact the relevant government organisation directly.  We don't have access to information about you.

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    • nibusinessinfo.co.uk

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