How the healthcare system failed survivors in the aftermath of the Grenfell fire

After years of not being listened to, the survivors and the bereaved and the Grenfell community, then had to contend with the health and care services, who did not listen to their needs all over again.
In a report by the think tank The Kings Fund, those most impacted by the fire talk about structural racism and discrimination. That health and care authorities imposed what they believed was needed.
But the community told them otherwise, and The King’s Fund, which will release its report on Monday, says there are many lessons to learn from this, not least services need to be willing to make changes informed by what they learn from the people who are living in that neighbourhood or borough.
The report gives examples of tick box exercises for mental health including offering Muslim men cognitive behaviour therapy with white female therapists; or a screen and treat programme that was a door-knock of 11,000 homes – missing those most impacted.
The mental health teams are praised for reacting quickly and listening. On the physical health side, there remain concerns.
Enhanced screening for the survivors did not always happen because some GP services weren’t aware they were meant to be doing it.
Natasha Elcock, who escaped from the tower block with her partner and daughter, told Channel 4 News about asking for blood samples to be taken so they could be checked in the future and being told this couldn’t be done.
Yet, she says, the fire fighters had bloods taken for research to see what impact the fire had on their health.
The King’s Fund says its report is about sharing what went wrong and what worked, so health and care authorities can be prepared.