A migrant woman’s experience of being denied access to healthcare
This tesitmony highlights the experience of a migrant woman acessing healthcare. When she arrived in the UK, she expected to be able to access healthcare when she needed it. Instead, she faced repeated barriers – even when she and her child were unwell and in urgent need of care.
“So yeah, what I want to say, is that we say health is a human right — and the right to health must apply to everyone. But in many cases, things happen differently, and people struggle to access healthcare, especially when it’s urgent.
When I first came to the UK, I wasn’t feeling well. I tried to go to the GP, but I faced many barriers. I went a few times because I was really unwell — even my daughter wasn’t feeling well — but I was denied care because I didn’t have the required identification at the time.
I felt so frustrated. It affected me not only physically, but also mentally. I remember thinking: where is my dignity? I needed urgent help and support, but I couldn’t get it because of documents I couldn’t provide.
To be honest, it was painful. I felt excluded. I felt like I wasn’t being treated as a human being, but more like an object — excluded from something basic that everyone should have: the right to health.
That experience stayed with me. Later, I became involved in campaigning as a community leader, working with migrant women and others fighting for justice and social change.
Together, we worked on safe surgeries, using creative tools like drama and theatre to influence NHS decision-makers. When we listened to others in the community, we found many people facing the same problem. People avoid going to the doctor even when they are sick — because of fear. Fear of being reported, fear of being denied care, fear of not belonging.
This is really frustrating, because the NHS was founded on the idea that healthcare should be universal, based on need, and built on trust and safety.
If people are excluded, it doesn’t just harm individuals — it affects public health and the whole community.
Health is a human right, and everyone must have access to it, regardless of their status, background, or gender.
I believe the NHS can improve. By listening to communities and learning from lived experience, the system can become more inclusive, more safe, and more trustworthy — so that everyone can truly enjoy their right to health.”
People are being denied essential healthcare due to documentation barriers – undermining dignity, trust, and the fundamental right to health.
These stories highlight why a rights-based, person-centred approach to healthcare is essential.
Support the Right to Health campaign and help advocate for a system where everyone can access the care they need, when they need it.
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This is not an isolated experience. Read how a disabled person navigating long-term conditions faces a different set of barriers →
