'We must break the cycle': homeless people 60 times more likely to go to A&E

A leading homelessness charity has called for health services to “break the cycle” after it was revealed that homeless people are 60 times more likely to visit A&E than the general population.

Caroline Bernard, head of policy and communications at Homeless Link, told The Big Issue insisted that the findings from the University of Birmingham study shows the barriers that homeless people face in accessing primary care.

The research found that mental health problems and substance abuse are widespread among the homeless population. A high prevalence of infectious hepatitis C was also identified.

We need to break the cycle. Better local partnership working between health and homelessness specialists will help those experiencing homelessness to have their health needs met

Researchers also found that almost one in three homeless people have attended A&E in the last 12 months, making them 60 times more likely to be admitted than the public at large.

Responding to the findings, Bernard said that Homeless Link’s own research reaffirmed the use of A&E by people experiencing homelessness.

In 2014, the charity found that 35 per cent of homeless people had been to A&E, and just over a quarter had been admitted to hospital within six weeks. Bernard said that people experiencing homelessness faced barriers accessing primary care and are often forced to use A&E when their condition becomes acute.

Homeless Link also found that after being “patched up” in hospital and discharged, many participants had nowhere to go, making it more likely they would have to return to A&E after a short space of time.

Bernard added: “We need to break the cycle. Better local partnership working between health and homelessness specialists will help those experiencing homelessness to have their health needs met and address the health inequalities that they face.”

This new research is backing up findings from our local engagement on homelessness in Salford last year, which you can read here >https://t.co/4lX3odgmw4https://t.co/KN4DRDQsdZ

— Healthwatch Salford (@HWSalford) July 2, 2019

Dr Vibhu Paudyal, a senior lecturer at the University of Birmingham who co-authored the new research, urged GPs to make the registration of homeless people easier and said some people had been wrongly turned away by surgeries due to not having proof of address.

“This study reinforces the need to further expand and diversify specialist services available to the homeless population, particularly preventative services,” said Dr Paudyal. “Further work needs to be done to minimise fragmentation of services and to improve access and experiences around homeless use of mainstream general practices.”