The British Medical Association says it has a dossier of evidence outlining cases where doctors say government policy has damaged the well-being of asylum seekers or their children.
The study, produced with the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture, says the controversial voucher system that asylum seekers have to use to buy food, clothing and other goods must be scrapped.
It also calls for an end to the dispersal system under which refugee families are moved away from the south east to places where there is not always the infrastructure to support them.
 If you are an asylum seeker and you come to the UK, there is little chance your health will improve - in fact, it may well deteriorate  |
Dr Michael Wilks BMA ethics committee |
"Families have been housed in tiny bedsits, where a toddler has not been able to learn to walk because they simply do not have the space to walk in."
Doctors say they know that some children of asylum seekers are not being immunised or properly treated for chronic conditions because the forced dispersal policy results in a lack of continuity of treatment.
The treatment of mentally-ill asylum seekers is also causing concern.
In one case a young man walked 35 miles to see a psychiatrist as part of a report for his asylum claim.
He walked all through the night because he did not have any money for transport.
Asylum seekers receive a weekly allowance of around £30, two-thirds of which is in vouchers.
But supermarkets cannot give change on vouchers, prompting allegations these shops profit at the expense of the asylum seekers.
Diluting milk
Dr Wilks said: "The vouchers do not provide anything like the basic nutritional requirements for children or young mothers.
"We have examples of mothers diluting baby food and milk to make it last longer, so the nutritional value is reduced even further," he added.
Another case involved a family, including a very young baby, who ended up sleeping rough with no access to shelter, sanitation or food for several months.
The mother had stomach problems and the baby was not gaining weight.
Asylum seekers are entitled to free health care and have the right to be registered with a doctor.
But senior doctors say more interpreters and better counselling and other support services are needed to ensure they can receive treatment.
 Blunkett: Radical overhaul |
"The only initiatives to help are at local level, which is disgraceful.
"Our members have reported some very worrying case histories from both hospitals and general practice," he added.
"A colleague working in a deprived part of London has an asylum seeker patient who lost his sight through being tortured, and has been living in appalling isolation in a very low standard of accommodation."
Dr Wilks concluded: "If you are an asylum seeker and you come to the UK, there is little chance your health will improve - in fact, it may well deteriorate."
Helen Bamber, Director of the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture, said: "We warned from the moment that 'no choice' dispersal was first mooted that widespread suffering and misery would result if asylum seekers were sent to areas where there was insufficient support.
"Sadly, in many parts of the country, we now see that prediction coming true."
Earlier this month Home Secretary David Blunkett promised the Labour Party conference that results of a review of asylum policies would be published within weeks.
He said a radical overhaul was on the way but had been delayed by work on anti-terrorism measures.
Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture as mentioned in the above post: http://www.torturecare.org.uk/
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