Minority of Ukrainians able to continue healthcare since arriving in UK

A minority of Ukrainian refugees who were receiving regular healthcare treatment or prescriptions in Ukraine have been able to access them since arriving in the UK, figures suggest.

Some 32% of people who arrived in the UK under Ukraine visa schemes said they had been receiving regular treatment before they left Ukraine, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.

Of these, 22% said their treatment, such as hospital visits or physiotherapy, had continued since arriving in the UK.

Around a fifth (21%) of those questioned said they had been receiving regular medication prescriptions in Ukraine, with 37% of these saying they had been able to access the drugs in the UK.

It is the second time the ONS has published findings from its experimental UK Humanitarian Response Insight survey.

The latest research ran between June 16 and 24 and involved 9,601 people.

In March the Government launched two visa schemes so those fleeing the conflict in Ukraine could come to the UK for up to three years.

The family scheme allows Ukrainian nationals and their relatives to join other family already living in the UK, while the Homes for Ukraine sponsorship scheme allows Ukrainian nationals and their relatives to come to the UK if they have a sponsor who can provide accommodation.

The ONS carried out its research to “understand the experiences and intentions of those arriving in the UK” under the schemes but said “care needs to be taken” when interpreting the findings.

The most recent survey showed that most respondents had been in the UK for more than four weeks and had arrived under the sponsorship scheme (80%).

The majority of arrivals were living in England (83%) and 20% were in London, while 81% were female and more than half (55%) were aged 30 to 49.

It also found that almost four in 10 arrivals (38%) plan to stay in the UK for at least three years, up from 33% when the survey was first carried out in April.

Some 29% said they intend to stay for up to three years and 30% were not sure.

More than a third (37%) said they have enough money to support themselves and their dependents for the next three months – up from 26% in April.

Some 41% said they do not have enough funds for themselves or their dependents over the next three months, down from 55%.

More than eight in 10 respondents (83%) aged 18 to 65 said they were either currently working, or were very likely or likely to look for work in the UK in the next month.