The Ark's GP Clinic Praised In Healthwatch Shropshire's Report Into Access to Healthcare For People Experiencing Rough Sleeping.

We were delighted to welcome Healthwatch Shropshire into the Ark on several occasions over the winter period, to listen to the experiences of how people who are experiencing rough sleeping in Shropshire are accessing healthcare.

The report highlights the challenges many face when trying to access GP services, maintain medication, navigate digital healthcare systems and receive appropriate support after leaving hospital.

The findings also highlight the vital role of The Ark's weekly on-site GP clinic, which provides an important and trusted route into healthcare for people who might otherwise struggle to access support.

The clinic is described as an "excellent example of a multi-agency team approach to providing services" and the report recommends "this example should be rolled out across Shropshire to ensure that grassroots charities and day centres working with the homeless have dedicated healthcare clinics on site".

Key findings:

• GP access systems (eg. Telephone and digital) often do not work for people sleeping rough.

• The Shrewsbury Ark's GP clinic is a vital route into healthcare.

• Medication is often lost, stolen or disrupted.

• Hospital discharges can leave people back on the streets without support.

• Homelessness increases avoidable pressure on NHS services.

Anton Goodwin, Director of the Ark commented:

"The findings reflect what we see every day at the Ark. The current system is simply not set up to support people who are homeless. Too often, people are expected to jump through hoops before they can access the help they need, whether that is healthcare, medication, appointments, benefits, housing or wider support. For someone living on the streets, often with trauma, poor mental health, addiction, neurodiversity, no phone, no ID and no safe place to sleep, those hoops can become impossible barriers...

"Bringing healthcare and support into trusted community settings like the Ark makes a real difference. People are more likely to engage when they feel safe, when they are treated with dignity, and when services understand the reality of their lives. We hope this report helps partners across health, housing, local government and the voluntary sector work together towards a more compassionate, practical and effective system.”

You can read the full report by clicking here.