The North Central London (NCL) Dental and Oral Health Project for Asylum Seekers, led by Barnet’s Public Health Migrant Health Team, aimed to improve oral health education and access to dental care for asylum seekers living in contingency hotels. Funded by the NCL ICB’s Communities and Inequalities stream, the initiative responded to significant oral health disparities and barriers to care in this population.
Key achievements:
- Dentaid mobile clinics delivered urgent dental care to 39 asylum seekers across Barnet, Camden, Islington, and Haringey.
- Over 2,800 dental packs distributed, with oral health leaflets translated into 7 languages.
- Six health promotion events engaged over 450 residents, offering oral health advice, signposting, and support accessing NHS dental services.
- Training delivered to 6 professionals across boroughs to support ongoing oral health promotion.
- Two asylum seekers trained as oral health champions, contributing to outreach and education.
Challenges identified:
- Language barriers, lack of interpreters, and limited access to NHS dentists.
- Transport and HC2 certificate issues hindered appointment attendance.
- Sustainability concerns due to limited Dentaid visits and funding constraints.
Recommendations for future work:
- Strengthen partnerships and advocate for interpreters in dental practices.
- Establish regular oral health events and sustainable funding models.
- Improve communication strategies and involve asylum seekers in project planning.
- Expand outreach to broader migrant communities.
This project laid a strong foundation for improving oral health equity and access among asylum seekers in NCL. Continued collaboration and advocacy are essential to sustain and scale this work. The full report is available to download.
If you have any questions, please email Rachel.wells@barnet.gov.uk and aysha.khalid@barnet.gov.uk who will be able to assist.
