As part of our commitment to ensuring that our Health Assessment service is sensitive, effective and responsive to the needs of our clients, we routinely monitor and evaluate our practices and the impacts of our work.
We do this through:
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The collection and monitoring of demographic data about the people who are referred to us;
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Evaluating the impact of our Health Assessments in the identification of serious abuses and resulting health needs in routine NHS care;
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Undertaking subject-specific pilot evaluations, including in the identification of suicide risk and self-harm;
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Seeking the views of referrers and clients about our service; and
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Tracking the use and impact of our Health Assessments in healthcare and legal (asylum, housing, social services) settings.
We collect demographic information about the people who are referred to us for a Health Assessment. Both the legal landscape and survivors' lives are shifting constantly. Collecting and regularly reviewing information about our clients means that:
- we can adapt our services and responses rapidly to ensure we continue to be in the best position to respond to the health needs of survivors;
- we can identify emerging trends, including in country of origin and language/interpreter needs for Health Assessment appointments or the reasons for their referral; and
- we can respond to any gaps in either the groups of clients that are referred to us or the types of harm reported, so that health needs can be met.
Demographic data is reviewed on a quarterly basis. Over time, this helps us to build a picture of who reaches us, where they come from, and what they have survived.
You can read our most recent Demographic Report here.
The information contained in our reports and evaluations is fully anonymised. Nothing included in these reports or evaluations could be used to identify an individual.
Demographic data is reviewed on a quarterly basis. Over time, this helps us to build a picture of who reaches us, where they come from, and what they have survived.
You can read our most recent Demographic Report here.
Our Health Assessments respond to a systemic gap in the identification and impact of torture and other forms of serious abuse in asylum seekers who are engaging with routine NHS care.
A review of 51 survivors who had received one of our Health Assessments showed that there was significant under-identification in asylum seeking patients of harm arising from human rights abuses or other forms of serious violence:
66%
of patients had no previous mention of their abuse history in their main GP record.
In the majority of cases, there were clinical findings related to the abuse:
88%
60%
8-45%
As a result of the Health Assessment:
- 33% had medications for mental health initiated or changed.
- 16% were referred for psychological therapy; and
- 15% were referred for follow-up of physical health issues.
Nearly three-quarters of the patients who gave us feedback said that they felt their health had benefited from seeing one of our clinicians.
had current mental health issues, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression.
there were physical findings, predominantly scars, attributed to physical abuse.
8% were at significant short-term risk of suicide and 45% had indications of increased suicide risk.
27%
of patients recalled ever being asked about human rights abuses by healthcare providers previously.
Survivors of severe human rights abuses and other serious harms are often psychologically vulnerable. Their journey to the UK, their experiences of the asylum process and the social and cultural isolation felt here can add to their vulnerability.
Asylum seekers, including unaccompanied minors, are at a higher risk of suicide and self-harm compared to the general population. A pilot study into the current risk of suicide or self-harm in 26 asylum-seeking patients who had appointments for Health Assessments with TortureID clinicians during the first quarter of 2026 showed that:
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Indications of a risk of suicide or self-harm were newly identified in 20% (6) of the clients we saw. Immediate action, including the issuance of safeguarding alerts to the Home Office, was undertaken by the clinician at the time.
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Passive suicidal thoughts – having thoughts about death or not wanting to live, without an intention to act upon them – were newly identified in a further 14% (4) of cases. Specific recommendations were issued for ongoing monitoring and reassessment of risk in the event that circumstances changed.
We regularly seek the views of people who use our Health Assessment service to make sure we continue to provide a service that meets their needs.
“An invaluable service that I know is highly appreciated by the people it serves”
An April 2026 evaluation of our Health Assessment service for the first quarter of 2026 found strong support for our clinical work amongst referrers:
We seek feedback from clients immediately after a Health Assessment appointment (subject to consent and context), and are currently involved in an academic pilot study to evaluate our Health Assessment service from the perspective of survivors.
Reports
Demographic Data of Referrals for Health Assessment
Human Rights Abuse Among People Seeking Asylum: Clinical Assessment in a UK Primary Care Setting – Evaluation of a TortureID Project
12th November, 2024
Human Rights Abuse Among People Seeking Asylum: Frequency Based on Routine Enquiry in a UK Primary Care Setting
12th November, 2024
Human Rights Abuse Among People Seeking Asylum: Brief Review of Literature on Prevalence
12th November, 2024
Trauma Screening and Health Assessments for Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children: Evaluation of a TID Pilot Project
7th December, 2023
Submission of Evidence to the Commission on the Integration of Refugees
29th March, 2023
TortureID Pilot Project: Evaluation Report
28th June, 2021