2. Groundswell Homeless Health
Peer Advocacy (HHPA)
•Peer Advocates offer one-to-one support for
people experiencing homelessness to make and
attend health appointments, and overcome the
barriers which prevent them from addressing their
health needs.
•“HHPA reduces the use of A&E, missed
appointments and unplanned admissions…”
(Young Foundation HHPA Evaluation 2014).
3. HALT Hepatitis study hypothesis :
Providing peer support and accompanied referrals to
hard-to-reach individuals (homeless or substance
misusing) infected with hepatitis B (HBV) or C (HCV)
virus will increase likelihood of a full diagnosis and
treatment completion…
(Randomised controlled trial, U.C.L & Department of
Health)
4. • Recruit HCV +ve’s, either via screening or
harvesting known positives from drug treatment
services and hostels.
• Randomise to receive either:
o Normal care – a referral to secondary care
o Intervention – a referral to secondary care
with support from a peer from Groundswell.
• Allocation of those infected with HBV to peer
support and accompanied referrals.
5. Peers meet with the patient, chase/re-arrange
appointments, accompany them to hospital, take them
to other health related appointments, advocate on their
behalf etc.
6. Primary outcomes:
1. Cost effectiveness evaluation of outcomes.
2. Successfully reaching an appropriate clinical
endpoint for those infected with hepatitis C.
7. Secondary outcomes:
1. Sustained virological response to HCV treatment.
2. Successfully reaching an appropriate clinical
endpoint, full diagnosis and commencement of
treatment, where appropriate, for those HBV
infected.
3. Proportion of hard-to-reach with adequate immune
response to HBV vaccine.
4. Factors influencing lack of vaccine uptake.
Editor's Notes
Welcome everyone to the meeting
Introduce Board of Directors and speakers (in reserved seating at front)
Advise that a copy of the summary annual report is in the pack that people were given as they arrived at the meeting – if you would like a copy of the full Annual Report & Accounts please come and ask at the end
Explain that, as people will see from the programme they were given in the pack, the meeting includes reports from the Chief Executive and the Lead Governor, nurses from our hospital and community services talking about how we are improving nursing care, a presentation about the new Emergency Floor being developed at St Thomas’, and finally a Q&A session with the Trust Board
Hand over to Ron
