It is difficult to estimate how many people are homeless in the UK but, just taking rough sleepers on a single night in autumn 2023, it was estimated there were 3898 rough sleepers in England; a 120% increase since 2010.1
People experiencing homelessness suffer from worse physical and mental health than the general population: 63% report long-term illness, disability, or infirmity; 82% have a mental health diagnosis; they have reduced life expectancy; and, a third die from medically treatable conditions.2
Many are homeless because of adverse life events. This can lead to a lack of confidence in services, and 45% say that they self-medicate with drugs or alcohol to help them cope with their problems.2 Poor mental health and chaotic lifestyles may lead to self-neglect and treatable medical conditions are frequently left untreated, often developing into emergencies.2
As a result, services are firefighting when patients experiencing homelessness present in crisis. Lack of accessible primary care leads to over-reliance on emergency departments and secondary care. For example, in the past year, 48% of people experiencing homelessness attended accident and emergency (three times more than the general population), and 38% had at least one hospital admission, with 24% discharged back to the streets.2
Why is it difficult for people experiencing homelessness to access primary care services?
Patients experiencing homelessness report negative experiences of accessing mainstream health services.3 Accounts of being denied registration at general practices and being …
