An integrated approach to nursing care for homeless people
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An integrated approach to nursing care for homeless people

Rosa Ungpakorn Specialist nurse, Homeless Health Service, Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust, London

Homeless people face huge health inequalities. The life expectancy of someone who sleeps rough is 30 years lower than the national average, and there are significant barriers to accessing healthcare. Homeless people are much less likely to be registered with a GP and poor links to primary care leads to higher use of emergency services. To reduce these stark inequalities, a different approach to healthcare is necessary, especially in major cities. In this article a specialist nurse working in London outlines the services her team provide, how the nursing role has developed, and how the London Network of Nurses and Midwives (LNNM) Homelessness Group provides support and networking opportunities for nurses in these challenging roles.

Primary Health Care. 27, 1, 26-28. doi: 10.7748/phc.2017.e1219

Correspondence

rosa.ungpakorn@nhs.net

Peer review

This article has been subject to external double-blind review and checked for plagiarism using automated software

Conflict of interest

None declared

Received: 15 September 2016

Accepted: 21 September 2016

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