At BGPA, we are extremely proud of the work that the Bromley Homeless Health Team do to help those most vulnerable in our community, working closely alongside Bromley Homeless. This promotional video highlights the great work that the Health Team provide at the Bromley United Reformed Church, with the service holding high satisfaction rates since they launched.
Click below to watch the full video.
The Bromley Homeless Health Team, supported by Bromley GP Alliance, provides clients with the opportunity to speak to health care professionals in a safe space. The team endeavours to make sure that any issues that clients have are dealt with in the best possible manner, as those who are homeless rarely, if ever, contact their own GP. The Health Team can also issue prescriptions to clients, if necessary, further emphasising the quality of care which the homeless can receive. Most importantly, having the Health Team on site at the Homeless Shelter means that GP appointments are saved, without the quality of care to the clients being disrupted.
The Health Team work with various partners who assist the service with referrals of clients and other health care needs. Examples include:
- The Rough Sleeping and Mental Health Programme (RAMPH).
- Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust.
- Urgent Treatment Centre at Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH) and Beckenham.
- St Christopher’s Hospice.
- ICN team at Bromley Healthcare.
- Mental Health Team at PRUH.
- Rough Sleeper Team.
Here are some of the fantastic comments we have received from our partners:
“Since joining the team at Bromley Homeless Matt & Sarah have provided an invaluable much needed service to our service users. People experiencing homelessness are often marginalized and are known to face barriers to accessing acceptable and respectful healthcare services. Sarah & Matt are helping to break that barrier down.” – Kim Sutton – Services Manager – Bromley Homeless Service
“Sarah and Matt, as part of the Bromley Homeless Health Project, have already made an impact on the clients that they see in clinic. However, their impact extends beyond these individuals to improving health pathways for the wider homeless population in the borough. From a Public Health perspective, this means that even if a Bromley resident, experiencing homelessness needs to access healthcare and doesn’t visit the clinic, their healthcare access is already improved by the links and connections that Sarah and Matt have created. This begins to address the inequalities, and sadly sometimes stigma, that this vulnerable group experience. I am very excited by the progress that Sarah and Matt have already made and look forward to seeing the project develop and deepen.” – Bronwyn Ward – Project Officer – Public Health
“The Homeless Health Project is an excellent initiative that is really supporting our project’s work at the Princess Royal University of Inclusion Health with Homeless Patients; many of whom drop out of health services due to the lack of settled accommodation and then end up frequently attending A & E Departments. We recently had a patient who was rough sleeping and attended the hospital frequently requesting pain relief medication. The medics could not prescribe the recommended dose as the patient had no GP. Whilst we tried to support him with his housing situation, in putting him in touch with Sarah and Matt at the Homeless Health Project they were able to contact him, register the patient with a GP and arrange collection of the prescription and medication in the area he was frequenting within 24 hours. He has subsequently stopped attending our A & E Department, thus placing less pressure on the hospital.” – Shevon Simon – Homeless Health Team Leader – PRUH – King’s College Hospital.
To donate to Bromley Homeless visit: www.bromleyhomeless.org
