Reducing health inequalities and improving access to primary care for the socially excluded is a Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) area of clinical priority for 2011–13. Asylum seekers are a key socially excluded group but primary health care professionals are under-resourced and lack confidence in managing this population because the UK asylum process is complex, asylum seekers present with an uncommon set of health care needs and cultural and communication barriers may exist. This article provides an overview of providing primary care for asylum seekers, an introduction to the legal process that asylum seekers must travel through and aims to equip readers with knowledge, skills and attitudes that may be helpful when providing care for this group.
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