Opinion  

Research also shows that 30-50 per cent of homeless people experience mental health problems, 70 per cent misuse drugs and there are higher rates of TB, respiratory problems and skin disease among this group than the rest of the population. Families living in temporary accommodation also experience significantly more health problems than the general population.

Despite these issues, homeless people find it difficult to access healthcare. Most mainstream services are ill equipped to deal with the health needs of this group. Specialist services are vital and many of these have been set up and are run by dedicated and pioneering nurses.

Nurses who work with homeless people deal with very difficult and specific health challenges on a daily basis, yet only 34 per cent have received any training on health and homelessness, according to research from the Queen's Nursing Institute (page 8). This figure falls to just 8 per cent among nurses not classed as homeless specialists.

This is another example of nurses being expected to take on roles without the necessary training. Some 71 per cent of the non-specialist nurses said they lacked confidence in their ability to care for homeless people.

Nurses are clearly best placed to take responsibility for delivering primary healthcare to homeless people and can make a real difference. But if they are to continue to achieve good results they need the support of their PCT or health board.

The QNI's research also highlighted that many of the nurses providing services to homeless people are working alone. This not only makes it difficult for them to access training and peer support, it also means the services they provide are often unrecognised, poorly understood by local trusts and, therefore, susceptible to cuts.

Providing care to some of the most vulnerable people in society should be a priority for PCTs and health boards as part of the drive to reduce health inequalities. They must ensure nurses have access to the training they need to deliver high quality care to homeless people. They must also acknowledge the importance of the services these nurses provide by ensuring they are properly resourced and not seen as an easy target for cuts in times of financial trouble.

emma.bower@haymarket.com