Homelessnes

GPs are the gatekeepers of the NHS, and no GP means no access to other services.

Did you know?

People living in the sub-Saharan Africa are expected to live longer than rough sleepers in London, who have a life expectancy of only 42 years compared with an average of 71 for men and78 for women in the general population, a survey of coroners' records by homeless charity Crisis revealed in 1997.

Rough sleepers are three times more likely to have chronic chest or breathing problems than those with homes, more than twice as likely to suffer from skin conditions or digestive problems, more than ten times as likely to suffer from depression or anxiety, and twenty times more likely to suffer from fits or blackouts, according to a 1994 University of York study.

More flexible ways of employing GPs are being tried out by the Government in an effort to stem the shortage of family doctors attracted to urban practice and to fill gaps in community care. One idea to be tried in Brighton will employ a doctor on a salary, rather than the traditional self-employed basis, to run a surgery along mainstream lines but with some special features to suit the town's homeless population, such as a flexible appointment system.

Extracts from 'Doctor, I've got this problem - I'm invisible' - The Big Issue June 29 - July 5 1998: 290

Some useful related sites

Homelessness in the UK
http://www.ris.org.uk/

House Our Youth 2000
http://www.hoy2000.org.uk/

Inside Housing
http://www.atlas.co.uk/inside/

Shelter
http://www.vois.org.uk/shelter/

Squall
http://www.users.dircon.co.uk/~squall/

Homeless Discussion List
http://csf.colorado.edu/homeless/home.html

Latest news on the UK Housing Bill
http://www.ferret.co.uk/housing/main.htm

UK Benefits - Online DSS benefit counter
http://www.ferret.co.uk/main/calculat.htm

UK Benefits News
http://www.ferret.co.uk/main/benews.htm

Homelessness - UK
http://s1.cxwms.ac.uk/Academic/AGPU/staffpag/robinson/
interest/homeless/homepage.html

54 Ways you can Help the Homeless
http://ecosys.drdr.virginia.edu/ways/54.html

Homeless Homepage
http://is.dal.ca/~lmoeller/default.html

Info Exchange
http://www.infoxchange.net.au/

HousingNet
http://www.housingnet.co.uk

Macedon
http://www.innotts.co.uk/macedon/