Helping hand for homeless
Ealing Hospital is reaching out to the homeless community with a multi-disciplinary team that addresses both their health and social care needs.
The average life expectancy for a homeless person is almost half that of someone with a permanent roof over their head with many struggling to access healthcare.
Dr Amisha Babla became aware of the Pathway programme after initially volunteering with Crisis, the homeless charity, and seeing at first-hand how many people were struggling. Dr Babla said:
“The cost-of-living crisis has seen an increasing number of people made homeless and forced to sleep rough or live in cramped hostel accommodation. It is a very stressful situation and people’s health suffers.”
The hospital-based team, which comprises of GPs, nurses, housing support officers and an occupational therapist, picks up many of its referrals from A&E and inpatient teams seeing up to 50 people a month.
Common ailments including COPD, TB, substance abuse and skin conditions but the team also provides practical support and advocacy on issues including GP registration, benefits, housing and immigration.
Dr Babla added: “The majority of services in the UK function independently of one another so we offer a one stop service providing as much help as we can to the vulnerable.”
NHS England recently agreed to fund the initiative for a further three years after its initial one year pilot saw the team help more than 500 people.
The positive benefits for the trust’s hospital sites at Ealing and Northwick Park include improving health outcomes, reducing length of stay in hospitals as well as reducing readmissions.