Healthcare for single homeless people

This paper presents the results of analysis aimed at better understanding the health needs and relative healthcare costs of people who are homeless or living in certain types of insecure or short-term accommodation. Different models for provision of primary care services to this client group are discussed and the barriers experienced in accessing mainstream primary care are set out. Four models of care are described, ranging from outreach services to a fully integrated primary and secondary care model. The current take-up of these models is discussed and ranges from one third of PCTs which provide no specialist homelessness primary care services to a group of PCTs which provide a specialist homelessness primary care service with registration.