3rd International Symposium of the Faculty of Homeless and Inclusion Health
Pathway is delighted to announce dates for the 2015 Faculty for Homeless and Inclusion Health International Symposium: 4 and 5 March 2015. The two day meeting will once again be held in London. Work is under way to develop the programme, attract sponsorship and encourage colleagues from across the NHS, local government and the voluntary sector to come along to two days of passion, debate, and shared learning. The 2015 symposium will take place only a couple of months ahead of the UK general election so it will be a good time to assess the achievements of the coalition Government in meeting it’s ambition to improve the health of the poorest fastest. We are also planning for the 2015 symposium to have a strong focus on mental health, given the high prevalence of mental illness and distress among homeless and otherwise excluded patient groups. For more details about speakers and all the workshop strands visit the conference web site.
The full video libraries of the last two symposia are now all freely available on Policy Review TV, together with all slides and presentation materials. We have produced a quick guide to the presentations at the 2014 symposium so you can find the content you are after more easily. Click here to see more. Click here for a written report of the 2014 event.
2nd International Symposium of the Faculty of Homeless and Inclusion Health
Pathway is delighted to announce the date of the Faculty for Homeless and Inclusion Health’s 2nd International Symposium. The symposium will take place in London on 5th and 6th March 2014. It follows on from the hugely successful first event held in February this year. See https://www.pathway.org.uk/news-2/ for more information about the 2013 event.
The theme of our 2014 symposium is the health consequences of recession on the most excluded. Our first symposium was described by delegates as ‘inspirational’, ‘moving,’ and ‘challenging’. A community drugs worker said on the way out: ‘this was best event I have ever been to. Every drug service in the country should have been here.’
For more information about the Symposium including the agenda and booking details please click here. (Booking in now closed for this event, to watch the event please visit https://www.policyreview.tv/conference/947-homelessness-social-exclusion- (please note this will take you to an external website)
Faculty members are invited to submit short proposals for workshop topics or presentations. Please email your suggestions to info@pathway.org.uk
The Faculty for Homeless and Inclusion Health Service Standards for Commissioners and Service Providers. (version 2)
Date 24th January 2014. The National Inclusion Health Board at the Department of Health commissioned a new set of Standards from the Faculty for Homeless and Inclusion Health. These updated Standards have been revised to reflect the new commissioning landscape and the new statutory duty under the Health and Social Care Act 2012 to “have regard to health inequalities”. We have also extended the Standards to include Gypsies and Travellers, vulnerable migrants and sex workers as well as homeless people. We want to thank all the many members of the Faculty, both professionals and service users who contributed to these improved Standards. We welcome any suggestions for further improvement in future editions.
Click here to read this and other publications from the faculty.
Press Release
Embargoed for release, 00.01 a.m. 13 May 2013
Health Minister Anna Soubry MP launches Pathway medical respite standards and announces £10 million funding
Pathway’s homeless health team at UCLH will today welcome health Minister Anna Soubry MP on a visit to University College Hospital in London. The minister will meet Pathway’s UCLH team, some current and former homeless patients, as well as UCLH Chief Executive Sir Robert Naylor and Pathway Chairman, Professor Aidan Halligan.
The Minister’s visit coincides with publication of Pathway’s service specification for medical respite provision for homeless patients – defining a new model of intermediate care for chronically unwell homeless or destitute patients leaving hospital. To shape the new service model and make the case to the NHS Pathway has worked with partners across the homelessness sector, and with members of the Faculty of Homeless and Inclusion Health. Evidence suggests that NHS provision of medical respite for defined groups of homeless patients would improve health and social outcomes for homeless patients, and should save money for the health service.
During her visit the Minister was expected to announce £10 million of Department of Health funding for voluntary and community sector providers to work with the NHS to develop post hospital discharge services for homeless patients.
Speaking ahead of the Minister’s visit Dr Nigel Hewett, Pathway medical director and specialist homelessness GP said:
“I look forward to showing Anna Soubry some of the work we do with homeless patients in hospital. The announcement of funding to support new models of intermediate healthcare for homeless patients is hugely welcome. I hope this funding will lead to the provision of the medical respite services described in the report we have published today. We see too many patients who currently cycle in and out of hospital without ever getting the chance to fully recover their health, and improving a patient’s health is a vital part of breaking the cycle of homelessness.”
Formerly homeless Pathway Care Navigator Josie Mavromatis said:
“It’s very exciting to have the chance to tell a Government Minister about the work we do with homeless patients in hospital. It’s great that the Government seems to understand the need for more of the right kinds of services for homeless people when they leave hospital. Looking back at my own experience of being on the streets, a place where you can be safe, cared for medically, and given time, space and support to think about your life might have helped me get away from the streets years earlier than I did.”
Notes to editors
Pathway is a new charity that develops models of integrated healthcare for single homeless people and rough sleepers. Working within the NHS it puts the patient at the centre of their own care pathways and works to transform health outcomes for one of the most vulnerable and deprived groups in our society. There has been a Pathway team at UCLH for three years. There are Pathway teams in two other London hospitals and in Brighton, and funding in place to introduce three further teams in the next six months. For more information about Pathway’s work got to www.pathway.org.uk or to make a donation click here and be taken to the Pathway secure donations page
Medical respite for homeless people: outline service specification was published by Pathway today, 13 May 2013. The document sets out for health service commissioners and service providers standards medical respite provision should meet how to manage patient flows, and staffing and service requirements.
Press inquiries for Pathway call Alex on: 07775 625093
For our first two years of operation we used the name London Pathway, however as we have spread, supporting Pathway teams and homeless health partners across the country, we have dropped the word ‘London’ from our name.
END
Faculty of Homeless and Inclusion Health conference ‘inspirational’
07/03/2013 Around 180 delegates attended the Faculty’s first international conference last week. Breakout sessions focussed on addiction, recovery, mental health, brain injury, infection, housing entitlements, intermediate care, street sex worker’s health, psychological support for staff and much more. Main platform speakers included Junior Health Minister Anna Soubry MP, who spoke with passion about the priority she attached to the health of the poorest; Sir Michael Marmot, who described how the health chances of homeless people and others at the bottom of the social scale are both unfair and unjust because we know what the causes are; and international speakers from the US and Ireland, who inspired delegates with examples of their commitment to homeless people’s health and welfare. Homeless people at the conference talked about the passion they saw in health workers. All agreed that services should never give up on anyone, and that the most successful health services for people on the margins of society first and foremost treat patients as people, and invest energy, time and emotion in truly getting alongside their clients. Dr Peter Buchman, specialist homeless GP from East London sent a message after the conference: “Just want to send a big congratulations to all of you who organised the wonderful conference. So inspiring. The two American Jims are shining examples of how to stay motivated & compassionate. Thanks for an exhausting, stimulating, action packed but strangely spiritually uplifting couple of days. Very well done. “ The Faculty issued a press release to co-incide with the conference calling on the Government to commit to the Faculty’s core standards for health services for homeless people, and expressing profound concern at the long term health consequences of the Government’s welfare reforms, especially the changes to housing benefits. At the Faculty’s next full meeting members wiil reflect on the conference and how to follow it up. Many people have already said the Faculty should organise another one next year. The full programme for this year’s event is still available on the Neil Stewart Associates web site here, and delegates have permanent access to all presentations, and video of all the plenary sessions by entering the voucher code on the back of their delegate pack in to the Policy TV homepage. We will be producing a fuller review of the event shortly, including a report from our service user group who attended all the sessions.Research trial of Pathway homeless service features on the BBC
30/01/2013
Pathway and the Faculty for Homeless & Inclusion Health – International Conference
13/12/2012
In partnership with the Faculty for Homeless and Inclusion Health we are delighted to announce our first International Symposium. The two day event will take place on 27 and 28 February 2013, at Congress Centre, London WC1B
The theme for the event is ‘Improving the health of the poorest fastest’. A wide range of speakers will look at homeless health in its broader social and economic context, share international best practice from Europe and the United States, and present examples of the best health services responses to homeless and otherwise severely excluded adults. The programme includes a large number of workshop sessions enabling delegates to discuss specific issues in more detail. There are both practical workshops for frontline NHS staff (for example on clients’ housing and benefit entitlements, or the provision of street based health services) and theoretical or more clinically focussed sessions – for example on infection, on brain injury, and on addiction. Members of the Faculty have helped to draw up the two day programme which includes a strong focus throughout on mental health. Some of us are particularly looking forward to Chris Scanlon and John Adlam’s presentation ‘Against social exclusion: the Diogenes paradigm’ which presents a new way of thinking about the psychological harms that homeless people so often have to face.
Keynote speakers include from overseas Dr Jim O’Connell, President of the Boston Healthcare for the Homeless; Walter Kamp from the City of Amsterdam and Dublin based Dr Austin O’Carroll; and from the UK Professor Sir Michael Marmot, Professor Steve Field, and Duncan Selby, Chief Executive of Public Health England.
Pathway is delighed to announce that, thanks to funding from the Inclusion Health Unit in the Department of Health, we will be running a supported service user programme to ensure that service users can attend the event and that service users’ voices are heard throughout. Conference organisers Neil Stewart Associates have taken on the task of running the event.
Click here to see the full programme, delegate prices, and booking details.
Winner, HSJ Award for Patient Centred Care
22/11/2012Sadly the link to the BMJ video no longer exists, we are working to try and remedy this for you)
Pathway shortlisted for the Health Service Journal Awards 2012
13/11/2012Pathway in the BMJ and in a podcast
08/10/2012
The full paper is also on the Pathway publications page – follow the link above or click here for a copy.
22/06/2012 London Pathway has been selected as the beneficiary charity to a fabulous concert being put on by the Beckenham Concert Band and Hampstead Royal Free Music Society. We are hugely greatful to the members of the Band and the Royal Free Music Society.The concert is being held to celebrate Her Majesty The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and takes place at St Barnabas’ Church in Beckenham Kent. The concert starts at 7.00 p.m. Music will include State Occasion by Farnon; I Was Glad – Parry; Land of Hope and Glory and conclude with a rousing finale of Pomp and Circumstance.Refreshments will be available in the interval. For more information about the evening email diamondjubileeconcert@stbarnabasbeckenham.org
Health Minister Paul Burstow MP visits London Pathway service
28/05/2012Stand-up comedy night, 26th March 2012 at the Bloomsbury Theatre
27/02/2012 London Pathway is delighted to announce our second stand-up comedy night. Seven comedians are giving their time for free to raise money to support our work. The fantastic line up top comedians includes Mitch Benn, Hal Cruttenden, Scott Capurro, Adam Bloom, Paul Tonkinson, and Tom Allen. Tickets are on sale now from the theatre box office. Book now to avoid dissappointment and tell all you friends about the gig. For more information and to book tickets click here.Homelessness is a silent killer
30/12/2011 Homelessness charity Crisis published new research on mortality amongst homeless people on December 21st 2011. Using national data sets Dr Bethan Thomas from the University of Sheffield produced new mortality estimates for homeless people. She calculated the average age of death for homeless people to be around 47, and only 43 for homeless women. The report’s publication was covered by the Today programme on Radio 4, on television news and in a number of national newspapers. Speaking to the Guardian newspaper Pathway chief executive Alex Bax said:”This new report from Crisis demonstrates once again why the NHS needs to pay specific attention to the health consequences and costs of homelessness, and make homeless health a priority. The best NHS services can literally save homeless people’s lives but far too many health services treat homeless people as second class citizens.”The full research report is avaiable on the Crisis web site here.Pathway makes an impact
22/11/2011 According to researchers at New Philanthropy Capital, Pathway is one of six organisations “at the forefront of charity impact measurement.” The report by New Philanthropy Capital, “A journey to greater impact: six charities that learned to measure better” was published on 17th November. The report is available to download from the New Philanthropy Capital web site The publication prompted Guardian Society to run a feature about impact measurement in charities.To read The Guardian piece click here.Stand-up comedy fundraiser, 8th November, Leicester Square
21/09/2011 We are delighted to announce our first public fund raising event. Put together for us by The Charity Fundraiser, we are hosting an evening of top quality stand-up comedy at the Leicester Square Theatre on 8th November 2011, at 7.30 p.m.The evening is compered by award winning comic Stephen Grant and the line up includes Sara Pascoe, Terry Alderton, Paul Tonkinson, Josh Widdicombe and Colin Hoult, plus a surprise special guest. Tickets are only £15.00 and all proceeds come to London Pathway. Click here for more information about the evening and to book your tickets.We look forward to seeing you on the night. Thank you for your support for our work.Harvard Business School Professor Michael Porter commends the Pathway service
16/09/2011 Speaking after leading the the UCL Partners/Monitor sponsored ‘Value in Healthcare Delivery’ leadership seminar Professor Porter said the Pathway approach to improving care for homeless people, ” is an excellent example of how a value based approach can better serve patients, reduce inequalities, and deliver better outcomes that matter to patients per pound spent”.The Pathway service running at UCLH was selected as one of four examples of value based innovation in UK healthcare delivery, for presentation and discussion at the two day conference with UK health leaders in London in June. Following the conference we have been approached by a number of other hospital trusts keen to work with us on introducing the Pathway model in their institutions. If you would like to discuss introducing a Pathway team into your hospital please contact us at info@londonpathway.org.ukClick the link below for a copy of the Harvard Business School short ‘case paper’ describing the service at UCLH and prepared for the seminar.
Launch of new standards for health services for homeless people
31/05/2011 London Pathway is hosting a reception at St Martin in the Fields in Trafalgar Square this evening to celebrate the launch of a new set of Standards for Health Services for Homeless People. The Standards have been developed by the Faculty for Homeless Health, a new faculty of the College of Medicine.Speaking at the launch, Professor Steve Field, chairman of the Government’s inclusion health board, said “We know that homeless people are some of the most excluded and vulnerable in British Society. We also know that health outcomes for homeless people are not good. Clear standards can help drive up the quality of care across the health service. The next task is to make sure the Standards are implemented, so I look forward to working with all the members of the Faculty of Homeless Health on this.Pathway chief executive Alex Bax said: “We are delighted to support the publication of a first set of Standards for health services for homeless people. It has been inspiring to see the commitment of the members of the Faculty of Homeless Health as they worked together to develop this document. I hope the standards will play a signfificant role in improving NHS provision for all homeless people in the country.”The Standards for commissioners and service providers can be downloaded here.There is more information about the Faculty for Homeless Health here.The London Pathway wins major grant from the Health Foundation
12/04/2011
The London Pathway in the Guardian
05/03/2011 The London Pathway at UCLH was the front page feature in Society Guardian on Wednesday 23rd February 2010. The feature by journalist Amelia Hill generated a great response on the Guardian web site. Read the article and the comments hereAnnual review – patient histories and new data
22/02/2011NEWS RELEASE, The london Pathway publishes its first annual review
22nd February 2011 The London Pathway has published a review of its first full year running a specialist service for homeless patients in University College Hospital in London. This new report features a series of powerful case histories and presents further evaluation of the costs and benefits of the London Pathway service. We know that homeless people attend A&E six times more often that people with homes, are admitted to hospital four times as often and because of the severity of their multiple illnesses they stay in hospital three times as long. All this adds up to acute care costs up to eight times higher than for the average housed patient. Our new report shows that at University College Hospital: • Each unscheduled admission of a homeless patient costs on average £3,399. • During one year 263 homeless people were admitted 446 times. • Over half of emergency re-admissions for homeless patients occurred within 30 days, and cost the hospital over £330,000. The London Pathway service has improved homeless patient’s experience and the quality of their care and reduced ‘bed blocking’ by homeless patients. It has also improved the quality of inter-agency working around homeless patients with complex and multiple health needs.The London Pathway is now developing plans to spread the service to other major hospitals in London and beyond. Homeless people who have used our service said:”You were the only ones that felt my life was worth saving. I am now back with my family. A family I have not seen for ten years.” “I’ve never stayed in hospital as long as this before but I know you are really going to help me, I trust you, that’s why I’m staying.” Professor Aidan Halligan, Chairman of the London Pathway said:“Central to the London Pathway is our commitment to compassion and care defining the best health services. This new report shows that we can make a real difference to the lives of homeless people admitted to hospital.” EndsNotes to editors 1. ‘A report on the first twelve months of service development’ is available on the London Pathway web site at https://londonpathway.org.uk/uploads/London-Pathway-Report-1st-12-Months.pdf 2. The London Pathway is a new charity formed to transform healthcare provision for homeless people. It is chaired by Professor Aidan Halligan. Other Trustees include Sir Peter Dixon, Sir Ian Kennedy and Lord Ajay Kakkar. 3. The London Pathway won the 2010 Andy Ludlow Homelessness Award, sponsored by the Department for Communities and Local Government, London Councils and the London Housing Foundation. 4. For media inquiries about the London Pathway please email info@pathway.org.ukLondon Pathway secures new investment
10/02/2011
The London Housing Foundation has agreed to grant the London Pathway £120,000 over the next three years. This vital investment will be used to support the development of London Pathway specialist homeless health nurse practitioners and to expand our work to train formerly homeless people to work as Care Navigators.Speaking after confirmation of the grant, Alex Bax, London Pathway Chief Executive said:“This is a fantastic vote of confidence in the work we have started. As a new charity working with some of the most marginalised people in British society, this kind of long term financial support is a real life saver. The funding will help us to consolidate our core services and expand our capacity to work with new partners across the NHS.”For more information about the London Housing Foundation visit https://www.lhf.org.uk/Sir Peter Dixon joins London Pathway board of trustees
10/02/2011London Pathway opens a ‘Just Giving’ link
01/12/2010David Pascall CBE joins London Pathway Board of Trustees
01/12/2010 We are delighted that David Pascall CBE has agreed to become one of our Trustees. His extensive experience in business and in Government will be a huge asset to the charity as we develop.New TB figures from Health Protection Agency
09/11/2010https://www.hpa.org.uk/NewsCentre/NationalPressReleases/2010PressReleases/101104TB/
The London Pathway on film
09/11/2010
The London Pathway achieves charitable registration
09/11/2010 The London Pathway has passed through all the necessary steps with the Charity Commission to become a registered charity. This is an important stage for the project as we can now move on to develop a long-term fund raising strategy to spread our practice to others and build the full range of services we plan to offer.The London Pathway wins prestigious homelessness award
22/10/2010 A new integrated model of healthcare for homeless people won first prize at the Andy Ludlow Homelessness Award’s ceremony in London last night.The London Pathway service currently running at UCLH now has plans to share it’s model of care with other major hospitals across the capital. The London Pathway brings compassion back to the centre of health services with a specialist homelessness GP and specialist homelessness nurse working with patients to tackle all the problems in their lives during their stay in hospital, and coordinating the work of other medical teams.Compared to patients with somewhere to live, homeless patients attend A&E six times more often, are admitted to hospital four times as often, stay twice as long and cost three times more, and at admission to hospital they are twice as sick. The average age of death of a homeless person has been estimated as between 40 and 44, equivalent to life expectancy in London over 200 years ago. Being homeless is bad for your health but homeless people are often also ‘tri-morbid’: they are suffering not only from a direct physical health problem (infected wounds, head injuries or TB for example) but will often be struggling with addiction and mental illness.Speaking after the awards ceremony Dr Nigel Hewett, London Pathway clinical director and homelessness GP said:”We are delighted and honoured to have won first prize. The recognition that the Andy Ludlow Award brings will really help as we start to share what we do with others working on homeless healthcare. It publicly rewards the incredible dedication of my two London Pathway nurses – Flo Cumberbatch and Trudy Boyce – and all the fantastic staff at UCLH who we work with, and who are trying to turnaround the lives of homeless people.”The London Pathway is a new independent organization focused on driving up the standards of NHS healthcare for homeless people, bringing compassion and care back to the centre of health service provision. Speaking after the awards ceremony London Pathway chief executive Alex Bax said:”For the London Pathway winning this award is fantastic. As a new organization this kind of recognition will be incredibly helpful as we spread our model to other hospitals and build relationships with others working on homeless healthcare. Key to our model is collaboration and coordination, working with all the agencies that work with the homeless, and using the time a patient is in hospital to try and put them on a better path when they leave.”Notes:The London Pathway is an independent not-for-profit company limited by guarantee, now seeking charitable registration. It is currently hosted at UCLH Charities but is developing plans to spread its service model across London’s hospital sector and to other cities in the UK with significant street homeless populations. It was founded and is Chaired by Professor Aidan Halligan.The London Pathway’s new web site is at www.londonpathway.org.ukFor media queries contact Ian Lloyd in the UCLH Press Office on: 020 7380 9506 https://www.londonpathway.org.uk/uploads/London-Pathway-Wins-Award.pdfAndy Ludlow Homelessness Award Press Release
