Healthcare for people seeking sanctuary
Brownlow Refugee & Asylum clinic – The story so far
The journey of the RAAS Clinic began with a simple but powerful belief: that every patient deserves accessible, compassionate, and high-quality healthcare within their community. What started as a purpose-driven idea in response to the Afghan crisis in 2021 quickly evolved into a mission shaped by dedication, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to care. As we witnessed first-hand the immense pressures placed on general practice, we also saw inequities in access and a level of complex need we had never encountered at such scale before.
Supporting patients who were entirely unfamiliar with their surroundings required far more than medical care alone. We were navigating education, culturally aligned expectations, medical needs, and the mental and social wellbeing of individuals often reliant on interpreters and entirely removed from what they once knew. Doing this alongside the day-to-day delivery of an already overstretched primary care service pushed us into unfamiliar territory and demanded that we rethink how care was provided.
We had to react and reframe our approach. Although these patients were attending regular GP appointments, the fragmentation of support was clear. Establishing the RAAS Clinic allowed us to centralise care and wrap a multidisciplinary team around the patient, addressing cultural, clinical, and social needs together. This reduced pressure on GPs while giving patients access to coordinated psychosocial support, not just isolated appointments. Over time, the service has grown to include CSWs, GPs, nurses, care coordinators, social prescribers, mental health practitioners, and specialist services including drugs and alcohol nurses.
We recognise this model is not universally scalable, but with appropriate commissioning it offers a more connected, equitable, and sustainable approach to healthcare for those seeking sanctuary. Ensuring patients can access coordinated services from the point of arrival—without repeatedly retelling their story—remains essential.
Sustaining this work without sufficient funding has been one of our greatest challenges. Demand continues to grow while fragmented commissioning pathways create significant disconnects in care delivery. Yet across Liverpool and beyond, we are fortunate to work alongside organisations and sectors all striving for the same outcome—proving that change is achievable.
The RAAS Clinic was never simply about creating another service. It was about dignity, compassion, and ensuring no patient feels forgotten. From a six-week pilot to four years of impact and national recognition, this journey reflects the resilience of the Brownlow Health team, our volunteers, partners, and supporters. Today marks a milestone—one that reinforces our shared commitment to continuing this mission with hope, collaboration, and determination, now and into the future whilst remembering the importance of doing something the right way and not just because it’s the right thing to do.
Awards
Organisations we are working with
Testimonials
“My journey with the RAAS clinic began as a patient, where I experienced first-hand the essential care and support provided to vulnerable individuals, particularly asylum seekers and refugees. Motivated by this experience, I became the first volunteer at the clinic, contributing to its mission and supporting others in similar situations.
“Today, I am proud to be working full-time within Brownlow Health, continuing to serve the community through the RAAS clinic. The clinic plays a vital role in improving access to healthcare, offering compassionate, holistic support, and creating a safe space for those in need. My journey reflects the profound impact of the service—not only on patients, but also on those who become part of its mission. It has been a truly transformative experience, both personally and professionally.”
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“Working in the RAAS clinic at Brownlow Health has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my training. It allowed me to develop a deeper sense of empathy and patience while caring for individuals who have often faced significant trauma, displacement, and barriers to healthcare.
“Each patient encounter carried a unique story, reminding me of the resilience behind their journeys. Clinically, I was exposed to a wide range of complex and often unfamiliar presentations, shaped not only by disease but by social, cultural, and psychological factors. This experience broadened my perspective on what it truly means to provide holistic care.
“The team was exceptionally supportive, fostering a compassionate and non-judgemental environment. Overall, working in RAAS has made me a more reflective, understanding, and patient-centred doctor, and reinforced the importance of expanding such services to ensure equitable access to care.”
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“Our collaboration with the Brownlow Health RAAS clinic has been consistently positive and invaluable to the individuals we support, your team consistently provides compassionate and responsive support to people seeking sanctuary.
“We would especially like to recognise Farida for her exceptional support. Her help with urgent registrations and facilitating timely appointments has made a significant difference to our service users, ensuring they can access care when they need it most. We greatly value our ongoing partnership and look forward to continuing this important work together.”
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“We have worked closely with the staff at the RAAS clinic for some years now. It is an invaluable service that allows us quick and straightforward access into health services for people who would otherwise struggle, particularly those who have been out of touch with services for some time.
“RAAS staff are consistently committed to the overall wellbeing of their patients. They collaborate closely with us, providing relevant documentation in support of applications and requests. We truly value being part of this network of services and professionals who wrap around individuals, each contributing their own area of expertise to a combined effort to keep people safe and well.”
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"It was a great experience attending the clinic. I gained valuable insight into how the service is run and the wide range of clinical issues they manage. The experience has helped inform the development of the clinic we now run at Abercromby. The team were very welcoming and generous in sharing useful resources, knowledge, and practical advice, which I have found incredibly helpful in shaping our own service."
Case Studies