Homeless people urgently need timely and effective healthcare

Study shows it is often too late when homeless people present with cancer at hospital

• Signs of treatable conditions may be confused with effects of harmful lifestyles
• Cancer is second-largest cause of death among homeless people admitted to hospital in England
• Screening and early detection and intervention seen as key

Nearly one third of homeless people in England die from treatable conditions, researchers say.

In a study that highlights the urgent need for more timely and effective healthcare for this patient group, researchers from University College London examined data on 3,882 individual homeless hospital admissions that were linked to 600 deaths in the three years to November 2016.

One fifth of the 600 deaths were caused by cancer, and the disease was identified as the second-largest underlying cause of death among homeless people admitted