omeless Healthcare Team - link for info https://www.yourcircle.org.uk/Services/11409
About.
The Homeless Healthcare Team offer support, advice and medical and nursing care to people who are homeless in order to help them protect their health while homeless and make positive choices in their own healthcare, and to access mainstream primary health care. The Health Clinic was at The George Whitefield Centre in Great Western Road now moved to The Rikenel, Montpellier Gloucester, where a doctor or a nurse is available on weekdays.
The service also hosts the Potentially Violent Patients (PVP) Service for those taken off GP’s lists for those with difficult behaviour and also works closely with hospital discharge scheme, Time to Heal.
Nurse Clinic: Mon - Fri, 9:30 - 4pm. Offer specialist clinics for Hep C, HIV, Podiatry, CBT and CPN.
Doctor Clinic: Mon, Tues, Wed and Fri, 9:30 -12:30. You need to book in before 11:30 or you may not be seen.
Services Offered: Access to medical treatment. Advice on health, alcohol and drug problems. Help to register with a GP. Medication advice. Access to health and social care services. Immuninisations and vaccinations.
The HHT have moved from the Vaughan Centre to the George Whitefield Centre; please see information move flyer and letter. We have been waiting for this wonderful news since our meeting with Candace Plouffe, Director of Service Delivery, Gloucestershire Care Services and Debbie Clark, Joint Commissioning Manager for Health & Social Care, NHS Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group, last August. We thank Candace and Debbie for their full support and joint commitment to the HHT which has been very reassuring.
Postal Address: The Rikenel, Montpellier, Gloucester GL1 1LY.
Contact Details
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- : 01452 895255 (clinic)
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- How to get in contact: Self-referral / drop-in.
Colleagues from Gloucestershire Care Services Trust and 2gether NHS Foundation Trust working with Gloucester City Mission at the George Whitefield Centre, in Gloucester, to provide care and support to the homeless...... watch excellent video about importance of joined up working etc., together with the amazing Homeless Healthcare Team (HHT) which the Forum fully supports. You may recall our challenge to those who didnt support the HHT, seeming to have a lack of understanding of health needs of vulnerable people in the community such as the homeless, the chaotic and those with complex needs, who find it hard to advocate for themselves. We thank the CCG and NHS Care Services for their full support and joint commitment to the HHT which has been very reassuring.
The Homeless Health Team (HHT).
The old Forum always fully supported the HHT especially when there was a worrying lack of commitement from the local authorities. The County Council and its service provider were adamant that homeless individuals must have their own GP so hence no need of a HHT. We pointed out the importance of homeless healthcare in accordance with NSNO which the County signed up to and while understanding their position/ aim, we felt it was and still is unrealistic for a number of reasons and felt there was political pressure; the HHT have a critical role in acheiving their aim. The Forum followed up concerns re the future of the HHT with the CCG and Gloucestershire Care Services. We were really pleased with their joint committment and full support of the HHT
The Forum followed up concerns re the future of the HHT with the CCG and Gloucestershire Care Services. We were really pleased with their joint committment and full support of the HHT. Full Notes of our meeting are in the members area in 'Other Minutes'; extracts are as follows:
.........grave concerns about the present and future of the effective and award winning HHT who have been strongly negatively affected by the closure of the GEAR Day Centre as detailed in our Discussion Document, such as loss of GEAR support staff and loss of crucial work of patient advocacy and social support, loss of humanitarian services such as personal hygiene, washing facility’s, safeguarding, good nutrition, etc. Concerns that the service had to be reduced from a very effective ‘drop in’ to an ‘appointment only’ service...........
...........recognised the real importance of this specialist health care provision to the homeless. Dr Helen Miller, Clinical Chair of the CCG, and Ingrid Barker, Chair of GCS fully supports the HHT and homeless services and is particularly keen to help reduce inequalities, especially for the more vulnerable people in the community such as the homeless, the chaotic and those with complex needs, who find it hard to advocate for themselves..........
At a subsequent meeting with the now CEO of P3, it was really good to hear that the HHT would be recognised as an important 'safety net'. It should be recognised that the County Council and now P3 are valued members of the Forum and dialogue is paramount to help improve service delivery and a co-ordinated and joined-up approach. The County Council and Officers should also be appluaded for their continuing management and funding of homeless services.