Doctors say not enough is being done to look after the health of asylum seekers.

The British Medical Association warns their health can actually get worse after they arrive in the UK.

A report from the BMA's Board of Science and Education is demanding the government invests funding and develops policies to safeguard asylum seekers' health.

The BMA hopes its report will influence how the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Bill is implemented.

Asylum seekers may be suffering from diseases such as tuberculosis, hepatitis or HIV/Aids.

We are failing some very vulnerable people

Dr Vivienne Nathanson, BMA

They may have endured rape or sexual assault, landmine injuries, beatings or malnutrition, or be suffering from depression, stress anxiety or racial harassment.

The BMA says asylum seekers face a number of basic problems including a lack of translation services, in particular in the area of mental health.

There are also problems with documents, such as exemption from charges forms, which are only available in English and Welsh, and with continuity of care.

Torture

The BMA says more needs to be done at the point when asylum seekers arrive in the UK.

It says tests for tuberculosis do not always take place, meaning the condition goes undiagnosed.

In addition, it warns those who are suffering from psychological affects of torture are not always referred to specialist centres.

Unaccompanied children are not always given appropriate vaccinations and immunisations, the BMA said.

The report recommends:

• Asylum seekers, especially families, children and pregnant women, should not normally be held in detention because it can remind torture victims of their experiences and exacerbate psychological damage they have already suffered
• They should be given adequate accommodation and should not be moved from place to place, so they can access services
• GPs should have separate funding for asylum seekers' care
• Children should be educated within the community to help integration
• More research into how the UK immigration controls affects health
• Improvements to care
• Trained interpreters or advocates.
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  The 1951 United Nations convention relating to the status of refugees says countries must provide those fleeing tyranny and persecution with access to health services, housing, education and employment.

  Lessons

  Dr Vivienne Nathanson, the BMA's Head of Science and Ethics said: "Asylum seekers have often been subjected to persecution and possibly torture and rape.

  "We are failing some very vulnerable people, whose health is actually deteriorating rather than improving in the safety of the UK."

  She added: "It is essential that new policies take account of what has gone wrong in the past and ensure that future procedures safeguard the health of asylum seekers.

  "It is also vital that lessons are learnt from successful projects currently taking place so that good practice can be replicated."