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Misunderstood and Overlooked: Addressing leg ulceration as a physical health need for people experiencing homelessness

Misunderstood and Overlooked: Addressing leg ulceration as a physical health need for people experiencing homelessness

Misunderstood and Overlooked: Addressing leg ulceration as a physical health need for people experiencing homelessness

Thursday, May 13, 2021

Catch up on FLIC's (Fulfilling Lives In Islington & Camden) webinar exploring the issue of wound care for people experiencing multiple disadvantage and discover their recommendations for treating chronic lower limb ulcers.

People experiencing multiple disadvantage are dying and suffering avoidable severe long term physical health problems because they are struggling to access mainstream health services. Due to a lack of timely and appropriate interventions, these problems are compounded over many years, resulting in deteriorating health and the need for costly acute care and crisis care.

In 2019-20 FLIC and CHIP worked together delivering two projects that piloted targeted health interventions with people with experience of homelessness and significant unmet health needs. One project delivered a nurse-in-reach role across the Camden hostels pathways and the other delivered specialist wound-care interventions.

On Thursday 18th March we shared learnings and insights from our wound care pilot. Below you'll find a recording of the event including;

  • An introduction from Rt Hon Ann Clwyd, a former MP for the constituency of Cynon Valley for 35 years.
  • In a short film Ian shared the impact and stigma of living a life with leg ulcer, and Dr Jemell Geraghty shared her experience of working in this area.
  • Homeless health care specialist and Clinical Lead Homeless Health at NHS North Central London CCG, Dr Jasmin Malik demonstrated the need for specialist wound care, and the risk to human life and cost to the public purse if we don't get it right.
  • Assistant Director Integrated Commissioning Debra Holt explored how Camden CCG and the local authority have responded to the health needs of people experiencing homelessness.
  • Consultant Vascular and Endovascular Surgeon, Mr Lukla Biasi advocated for the need to address stigma when treating people experiencing homelessness.
  • Tissue Viability Nurse and King's College Lecturer, Dr Jemell Geraghty shared learnings and recommendations from our pilot, and our hopes for the future.
  • And finally, the panel answered some of the audience's pressing questions.

Download the report on our wound care pilot in Camden here.

This is not the end. There is still lots of work that needs to be done around wound care and promoting it as a commissioned service. Lots of pressing and important questions came out of the session, questions that currently divide opinion and require more than a sentence or two, so we are processing these and thinking about how we can address them appropriately. If you do have any pressing questions, you can contact Nurse Consultant Tissue Viability, Dr Jemell Geraghty - jemell@vascularwoundcare.com.

If you'd like to keep up to date with FLIC's latest news, pilots and findings, you can follow us on Twitter or sign-up to our newsletter.

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