The MP for Lewisham West and East Dulwich Ellie Reeves visited King’s College Hospital last week where she met with members of the Homeless Health team to discuss the barriers faced by homeless people accessing healthcare.
Reeves met with social workers, specialist nurses, occupational therapists, housing officers and support workers to discuss ways of supporting homeless people with physical health, mental health, addictions and social issues.
The Homeless Health team work across the Trust’s partners, including King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, to support patients in hospital who have no place of residence.
During her visit on Tuesday 19 August, Reeves was accompanied by Angela Helleur, the Chief Delivery Officer, and Lesley Powls, Hospital Director.
David Glover, Assistant Director of Social Work and Adult Safeguarding at King’s, said: “People who are homeless, or vulnerably housed, face huge barriers to accessing healthcare, and experience some of the most severe health inequalities.
“The homeless population are also more likely to struggle with their mental health, and may have experienced significant trauma in their lives.
“Our aim is to ensure all patients are able to access high quality healthcare, and can return from hospital to a safe and secure home. We welcomed this opportunity to talk about our work to help bridge the gap in treatment, so that those experiencing homelessness get the support they need.”
