Healthcare for the Homeless
The London Pathway is changing it's name. To reflect the fact that we now support homeless health teams outside London our Board of Trustees has agreed we should change our name to 'Pathway'.
Follow this link to our new web site at www.pathway.org.uk.
We ceased updating these pages in April 2013 and all the material from these pages has been copied across to our new web site.
Click the video to see Professor Aidan Halligan describe the development of the London Pathway.
The medical care of homeless people is a challenge for traditional health care delivery models. The relentless immediacy of the daily struggle for safe shelter and a warm meal relegates health needs to a distant priority. Common illnesses progress and injuries fester, leading to increased numbers of A&E visits and hospital admissions. Treatment plans that make sense for those with homes and family support are often unworkable for homeless people: bedrest is impossible, simple dressing changes difficult, medications hard to obtain and store, and adherence to regimens requiring multiple daily dosing is daunting. Recent work has calculated that homeless people in the UK attend A&E six time more than average, are admitted to hospital four times as often, and because their illnesses are often so severe, stay in hospital three times as long.
The London Pathway is:
- A model of integrated, person-centred healthcare for homeless people
- An organization to develop and champion health services for the homeless within the NHS
- A network of support for healthcare workers engaging with homeless people
The London Pathway is a registered charity. (reg no 1138741.) Click here to support our work and make a donation.
Winner of the the Health Serivce Journal 2012 award for Patient Centred Care. Watch the awards ceremony here.
Winner of the 2010 Andy Ludlow Homelessness Award. To watch a short film about the London Pathway and the other shortlisted projects click here.
Latest News
- Faculty of Homeless and Inclusion Health conference ‘inspirational’
- Research trial of Pathway homeless service features on the BBC
- Pathway and the Faculty for Homeless & Inclusion Health - International Conference
- Winner, HSJ Award for Patient Centred Care
- Pathway shortlisted for the Health Service Journal Awards 2012
Case Histories
Eddy, male 40
Eddy has had prolonged treatment in intensive care for alcoholic cardiomyopathy, liver and renal failure. He accepts the need to stay off drugs and alcohol. The London Pathway team negotiated a placement at a “dry” hostel for patients recovering from dependency, and supported him on each subsequent planned admission for treatment of ascites. He remains off drink and drugs in the community, and has re-established a relationship with his father.