Migrant women in Oldham launch campaign to end unfair NHS health costs

A group of migrant women in Oldham has launched a campaign calling for an end to the NHS surcharge.

This charge, which can be up to £1,035, means that many migrants pay significantly more for healthcare than other residents, even when they are already contributing to the NHS through taxes. The group aims to abolish the NHS surcharge on migrants in the UK within five years.

The campaign is led by Support and Action for Women's Network (SAWN), a grassroots organisation supporting migrant and refugee women in Oldham. Over the past year, SAWN worked with specialist trainers to deliver a four-part campaigning programme for 21 women, equipping them with the skills and confidence to run a community campaign.

Turn2us is proud to have supported this work through our Greater Manchester Programme. Our partnership with SAWN began in 2024 and together we have delivered cash grants to community members facing financial hardship - grants that offered vital breathing space. 

Through our continued work together in these communities, we’ve been able to forge strong relationships. At our programmes of workshops and events, many grantees and people in the community revealed how much the NHS surcharge was affecting them. They identified it as something they wanted to challenge and this campaign grew from their vision. 

Rose Ssali, Chief Executive of SAWN, said: "A campaign only succeeds when we unite behind one message, one mantra and a shared purpose and when we know exactly who we are trying to reach. We must stand together to build that message and drive a campaign that exposes the unfairness of the NHS surcharge." 

Chantal Muhindo, SAWN's Lead Volunteer on the campaign, added: "My biggest takeaway is that real change happens when we come together with clarity, organisation, and the power of our own stories because that's what truly connects us and moves communities to action." 

At Turn2us, we believe that lasting systems change happens when communities take the lead. Financial insecurity is not just about individual circumstances, it is shaped by policies and systems.

Positive change requires the people most affected to have power and voice. That is why our Greater Manchester Programme is committed to long-term, place-based partnerships, working alongside communities rather than for them. 

Get in touch with our place-based team to find out more about our approach in Greater Manchester.