Extra help for hospital patients experiencing homelessness
Extra help for hospital patients experiencing homelessness
21 September 2022
We’ve awarded a £5,000 grant to help our hospitals ensure all patients experiencing homelessness have a better chance of leaving hospital safe, supported and better able to manage the days ahead.
A&E departments across all our hospitals have access to a supply of high quality and warm winter clothing and footwear, enabling them to tackle the risk of hypothermia for patients being discharged during the winter months.
A specific care pathway for homeless patients has been created to provide guidance to NHS staff, while emergency cash funds will also enable them to purchase small items that could make a big difference – such as bus tickets, phone credit, toiletries and more.
Yajai Apibunyopas, A&E Registrar at the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, said: “Since the pandemic started, the number of patients we’ve seen who are experiencing homelessness has increased significantly and until now there’s been no established care pathway to deal with their specific needs.
“These patients usually don’t come in and announce that they’re homeless, so we want to increase awareness among NHS staff and make sure everyone is better equipped to identify this group and refer them to the appropriate team so they can be better assisted.”
People experiencing homelessness often have complex needs and are disproportionately affected by long-term physical and mental health problems.
"If they need to be fed we can give them food. We can give them a shower if they need it, and if their clothes are rundown we have fresh ones for them to wear."
Yajai Apibunyopas, A&E Registrar
Westminster, where St Mary’s Hospital is located, is by far the most affected area of London, with 2,162 rough sleepers reported in 2020/21 - more than three times the number in Camden, the next highest borough.
Yajai added: “If they need to be fed we can give them food. We can give them a shower if they need it, and if their clothes are rundown or completely wet and it’s not safe to send them out in them, we have dedicated supplies of fresh ones for them to wear.”
The Trust’s inclusion health team, which works to improve the quality of care delivered to vulnerable patients, will follow up with patients who benefit, gathering feedback to help them continue to improve the care they provide.
The programme is currently in a pilot stage in the Trust’s A&E departments, with the team hoping to expand the service to more wards in the future.
