The St George’s Homelessness Inclusion Team (HIT) includes an in-hospital GP, lead nurse, housing workers, a care navigator and a community nurse. After the service went live in November 2021, they began treating and supporting a 24-year-old patient called Ali. Ali had a number of serious long-term health issues following a gunshot wound in December 2019, and had been living with his family in a metal storage container before being evicted. In the two years prior to being referred to the HIT team, Ali had experienced 33 inpatient admissions, six A&E presentations and 30 outpatient appointments.
Following Ali’s referral, the team worked closely with him to fully understand his medical needs, provide direct emotional support, and arrange secure and appropriate housing. The team continued to support Ali after discharge, and are glad to say that he is now doing well in new long-term social housing. He is engaging with all the support and health care offered, including attending all of his scheduled outpatient appointments, and he has not had any further ED attendances, inpatient admissions or outpatient DNAs in the six months since being discharged.