Restricting asylum seekers' access to primary care results in costly treatment having to be accessed later, MPs have been told.

The British Medical Association and health charity Medicines du Monde, which runs a free clinic for migrants in London, were due to give evidence this morning to the House of Commons home affairs select committee, which is holding meetings on the draft Citizenship and Immigration Bill.

In written evidence submitted to the committee, the BMA said doctors should not have to act as immigration officers checking on the immigration status of their patients and warned public health could be put at risk if patients with infectious diseases could not get treatment.

Written evidence submitted by Medicines du Monde said it had found no evidence that patients were acting as heath tourists to gain access to NHS treatment but that refusing them primary care was putting their health at risk.

Sexual health charity the Terrence Higgins Trust was also due to give evidence to the committee.

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