A Quick Medical Student Guide to Modern Slavery

The Global Slavery Index estimates that there are up to 136,000 people living in slavery in the UK. This equates to a prevalence of 2 per 1000 people in the general population. Which, for reference, is the same as Parkinson’s disease. While many medical students have probably made their own flashcards about Parkinson’s disease, most probably won’t have even seen an MCQ (multiple choice question) related to modern slavery. In all likelihood, it probably isn’t even mentioned in their medical school’s curriculum.

Modern slavery is a crime that exploits people for personal or commercial gain. It can affect adults and children from the UK and around the world and can include: forced labour, sexual exploitation, domestic servitude, criminal exploitation and organ harvesting. Victims of modern slavery are often made to do difficult and high-risk work. While exploited people are often hidden by those exploiting them, the nature of the work they are made to do means that they often need to access healthcare. This gives healthcare professionals (including medical students) a unique chance to spot people who may be being exploited. Victims may not wish to disclose or talk about their experiences and it can take time for a person to feel safe enough to open up. But, “you have time to talk to patients while you’re a medical student” is something I have heard said more than once.

Modern slavery is a major health and public health issue and can have a massive impact on peoples’ physical and mental health. While victims of modern slavery can have any presenting complaint, here are some of the signs that you can look out for:

Timid/terrified/tense

Registration. Lack of registration with a GP/nursey/school

Accompanied by a controlling person

Fatigued/exhausted

Frequently moving location/no fixed address

Inconsistent history

Control. No control of passport/bank account

Kept isolated from support

Evidence of injuries left untreated

Does not attend appointments

This list is not exhaustive but may help to act as some red flag signs of modern slavery. It is likely that it would be a combination of these signs that may lead you to suspect something. But if you feel that something is not quite right then you should raise your concern with a senior or supervisor. Chances are they may have missed modern slavery off of their list of differential diagnoses. Direct confrontation is not advised, especially if the suspected victim has someone accompanying them. However, be vigilant next time you’re shadowing a ward round or sitting in on a clinic, and report any suspicions. Modern slavery is a safeguarding issue and a medical student would not be expected to know the ins and outs of what will happen next, but by talking to a colleague and expressing your concern you could save someone from modern slavery.

The modern slavery helpline is available 24 hours a day on 08000 121 700 and can be used to report something you have seen or are concerned about and can give advice on exploitation and modern slavery. If you want to find out more about modern slavery and human trafficking, VITA Network is an organization that aims to advance the health response to modern slavery who have a range of educational resources and blogs related to slaver and health

J.Lin , 4th Year Medical Student