A scheme to help reduce inequality for one of our most vulnerable groups, has been given the green light for another three years.
The homeless health teams in NW London have been so successful that they have helped reduce rough sleeping in the patients they have supported by over half in the first year of operation.
The support scheme is designed to help people experiencing homelessness with their wider health and support needs, both when they are in hospital and in the community when they leave.
Dr Natalie Miller, Clinical Lead for the Homeless Health programme, said: “We need to be able to spend more time with people who are vulnerable in our community. Working as a dedicated multi-professional team means when they are in hospital allows us time to support them holistically as well as their health issues.”
The future of the scheme has been secured, following its success over its first year. It has been effective in helping people experiencing homelessness who regularly need hospital care. So far it has helped people with dedicated support:
- Preventing those who have been in hospital going back to the street.
- Avoiding hospital attendance and admissions (where health, care and support needs can be better met in the community).
- Supporting an improvement in an individual’s health and wellbeing
- Preventing rough sleeping and homelessness.
North West London has the largest homeless population in London and Westminster has the largest number as a borough. There are stark health inequalities for those who are homeless; a combination of multiple, long term, often under-treated health needs, experiences of trauma and discrimination mean that this sub-set of our population often do not get the care they need. This can lead to a high number of A&E attendances and admissions.
The ‘homeless health teams’ work in a number of different ways with homeless patients in hospital to maximise the benefit of their time there, providing specific health interventions, social care, housing, support and practical input so that patients leave hospital in an improved situation, reducing hospital re-admittance and homelessness. They work in collaboration with community teams including nursing teams, mental health and primary care for ongoing case management.
Joe Nguyen (Senior Responsible Office for the NWL Homeless Health Programme) said: ‘In order to make sustained, positive change for a person experiencing homelessness it requires extensive and flexible input by trained and dedicated resources. We are delighted that the programme is going to continue to be running across the ICS and tackling the extreme health inequalities faced by our most vulnerable residents’’
The scheme has already proved successful and in its initial months of operation has delivered a 54% decrease in rough sleeping and a 200% increase in people moving in to temporary accommodation. The team have supported patients with their wider health needs, registering with a GP and making significant progress in meeting their housing and social care needs. A recent evaluation has also demonstrated that the scheme costs the system a whole (including health, housing, social care, mental health, criminal justice, etc) 64% less, and care is more community based, preventative and recovery focused, improving patients wellbeing.
