Sirona Care and Health | South West

During the pandemic,  250 asylum seekers were moved to Bristol. Within 24 hours, Anne and her team received numerous calls for help. Refugees had arrived in the country with no more than the clothes on their backs, some suffering from serious health issues, heavily pregnant women and very young children. Anne galvanized the support of many health and third sector organisations to ensure the health needs for this group of hugely vulnerable people, many of whom were unable to speak or understand English, were met and they were able to access the NHS support they desperately needed. With very little resource, she set up a make shift clinic in their place of residence, and for the subsequent 11 months ran a health clinic offering vital and, in some cases, lifesaving support.  As the refugees continued to arrive, the make shift clinic dealt with many suicide attempts, Covid outbreaks, TB and many more complex health issues. Without Anne’s, support determination and passion for championing these patients, this group of vulnerable people would have had much poorer health outcomes.

The work of Anne and her team continues today as they care for refugees from around the world including from Ukraine.

Anne is highly regarded by those she supports and also by her colleagues. In the words of one them “she does a fantastic job in difficult circumstances and the individuals and families are lucky to have her working on their behalf”

Nominated by: Darren Jones MP and Karin SMyth MP