NHS protects thousands of rough sleepers ahead of winter with vital vaccines

Tens of thousands of people experiencing homelessness can now get vital protection from potentially serious winter viruses with a free NHS vaccine.

From this week, NHS teams and charity partners will offer crucial flu and pneumococcal disease vaccines for people sleeping rough or using homeless hostels or night-shelters as part of a new national programme.

NHS pop-up clinics and mobile vans will also be established in homeless hotspots to ensure everyone has the best chance to get protected against winter diseases.

These patients often face increased health risks from these diseases due to exposure, underlying health conditions, poor living conditions, poor nutrition, high levels of stress and limited access to healthcare.

Some examples of pop-up clinics include an NHS roving vaccination team, which will join an UKHSA outreach event at The Bridge Homeless Shelter in Leicester, offering flu and other vaccinations as well as mobile TB screening.

Several NHS teams will also offer one-stop-shop health services alongside the vaccinations including in Bournemouth where people experiencing homelessness will be offered cancer checks, podiatry and sexual health services.

People who are registered can also get vaccinated at their GP practice or visit a community pharmacy.

The new programme comes as Prime Minister Andy Burnham has pledged to end rough sleeping in the UK.

NHS teams and partners hope increasing vaccination among vulnerable groups can also help to protect the wider public by reducing the spread of flu through communities, helping prevent avoidable hospitalisations and easing winter pressures on NHS and emergency services during periods of high demand.

The NHS rollout follows a decision in June when the government accepted expert advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) to make NHS pneumococcal and seasonal flu vaccinations available to those experiencing homelessness. Also for the first time this year, some pharmacies can now vaccinate children aged between two and under 18 who are in clinical risk groups.

Other groups eligible from this week include people aged 65 years and over, all adults in clinical risk groups from 18 to under 65, residents of long-stay residential care homes, carers in receipt of carer's allowance, people who are the main carer of an elderly or disabled person, and close contacts of people who are immunocompromised. Eligible frontline health and social care professionals are also now encouraged to come forward for their flu jabs.

Pregnant women, school-age children and two- and three-year-olds have been offered flu vaccinations since 1^stSeptember in line with JCVI guidance.

The NHS has invested in expert mental health care for people sleeping rough with severe mental illness in towns with high rates of homelessness, including specialist outreach teams established as part of the NHS Long Term Plan.

In addition, NHS Talking Therapies offers dedicated support for common mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and panic disorder which are over twice as high among homeless people.

NHS national director for primary care and community services Dr Amanda Doyle said:

Winter hits particularly hard for people experiencing homelessness, who can face greater health risks from flu and other respiratory viruses.

That's why it's so important they can get the same protection as other vulnerable groups, with the NHS offering free vaccinations at convenient places this winter.

So if you're experiencing homelessness, you don't need proof of address to register with a GP you can use a day centre, hostel or the GP practice's own address. Whatever your health needs, the NHS is there for you.

The government has launched a national drive to offer anyone sleeping rough a route off the streets this winter if they need it. The £442 million being made available to support this is being provided to councils this week with areas with the greatest need receiving the largest share of the funding.  

This is part of the pledge to support mayors, councils, the NHS and public services to help everyone live well and improve preventative healthcare which this vaccine rollout will help achieve

The Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, said: "Nobody should have to sleep rough, but while people are on the streets, we have a duty to keep them safe.

This NHS initiative will provide vital vaccinations, protecting some of the most vulnerable people from potentially deadly viruses.

 "We are delivering for people in crisis now, while changing the system for the long term so everyone has a route off the streets for good."

Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Yvette Cooper said: No one should face flu, pneumonia or other serious illness this winter, simply because they don't have a safe place to call home. Vaccinations play a vital role in protecting the most vulnerable in society, and that includes those who are currently homeless.

Together, we can save lives, support the most vulnerable, and ensure our NHS is there for everyone who needs it this winter."

Professor Andrew Hayward, National Lead for Inclusion Health at UKHSA said: Respiratory infections including flu and pneumonia are a leading cause of preventable hospital admissions in people experiencing homelessness and contribute to reduced life expectancy.  This commitment to roll out flu vaccines to people using hostels, night-shelters or sleeping rough will give people vital protection and make an important contribution to wider cross-government initiatives to reduce the many health harms caused by homelessness.

St Mungo's Executive Director of Transformation, Sean Palmer, said:  

The rollout of the flu vaccine to people experiencing rough sleeping is a welcome acknowledgment of their health needs.  We know that people facing homelessness experience health issues with greater prevalence and severity than the general population.  These issues, alongside lack of protection from the elements and often poor access to healthcare, can make catching the flu life-threatening for people on the streets.

Our outreach teams are working tirelessly to support people who are facing multiple health issues; these teams rely on the wider healthcare system pulling together. The rollout of the flu vaccine to these marginalised and potentially vulnerable people will help to make improvements to their health outcomes and prevent admissions to hospitals, thus taking pressure off the NHS.