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Une association caritative de Hammersmith fournit des conseils de santé des milliers de résidents français
Hammersmith-based charity Dispensaire Français has been supporting French and French-speaking people in the UK with medical, social and administrative assistance for 160 years.
Some 40 patients a week are helped by a small team made up of Director Jerome Walczak, nurse Anne Castellani and secretary Fanny Dulin. Nearly 1,200 consultations have already been carried out this year with the help of 70 volunteer doctors and specialists.
Around 5,100 Hammersmith & Fulham residents were born in France, making up almost 3% of the borough's population and one of the borough's largest foreign communities, according to the latest census data.
A large share of French people living in the UK reside in either Hammersmith & Fulham or Kensington & Chelsea. Many French refugees moved to West London in the 18th and 19th Century, Jerome, 51, said.
"There is a huge French population here… it's a historical fact. So that's one of the main reasons [why the charity is based in Hammersmith] and we have a lot of volunteers who are working and living there."
He added: "We have a lot of French people here who don't earn a lot of money, who are in an uncomfortable situation, and we have a lot of senior people who do not have access to the internet.
"Even if they have been living in London for a long, long time, [some] do not have good English and they do not feel comfortable with a doctor to have a consultation.
"We try to assist them in French because all volunteers speak French. That is the goal of our charity. We try to refer them to the NHS and to explain how it works. Our goal is prevention first and assistance second."
The charity first opened its doors as a hospital on Soho's Shaftesbury Avenue in 1867. It moved to Covent Garden and then Brighton, with doctors working voluntarily thanks to private and public funding, before major financial difficulties meant it was sold to the British Ministry of Health.
The convalescent home, transformed into a retirement home, also closed in 1999. But since 2005, the Dispensary has continued its service to French speakers from 184 Hammersmith Road.
The Dispensary receives more than 30 calls per day from French speakers who are seeking treatment in London. Volunteer health professionals offer flat-rate £10 consultations for people who are not yet registered with the NHS or who do not understand how it works, do not speak sufficient English or are looking for a second opinion.
It also offers "one-off assistance" for vulnerable people, such as paying for a few nights of accommodation in a youth hostel, the purchase of a bus ticket for a return to France, or supermarket vouchers.
Dispensaire Français can also help low-income residents with their heating bills and provides home visits to elderly and isolated people.
The charity places a particular emphasis on mental health, offering affordable or even free psychological consultations for vulnerable, isolated or elderly people who face language or financial barriers.
"Sometimes when it concerns mental health and mental issues [patients] need to speak longer, and it is easier for them to have a French speaking doctor, French speaking psychologist to talk to," Jerome said.
"We can't help people in the long term, of course, but we try to give them [support] in their own language."
Jerome said patients often seek technical advice for navigating the NHS or a second medical opinion.
He has noticed an increase in demand for their social services too, especially for food.
The Dispensary offers a free meal to the community every month, and hopes to offer games nights and cultural events to help isolated or elderly people socialise throughout the winter months.
The charity also offers legal advice, such as finalising pension files or NHS registration, and even organising returns to France if necessary.
With the Espace Santé Jeunes (ESJ), the charity has created a place where 13-25 year old French speakers can receive confidential psychological support every Friday afternoon between 12-3pm.
Since its creation, the French Dispensary has benefited from British royal patronage including, most recently, the Duchess of Edinburgh.
