HealthBus Trust Information

The HealthBus provides a mobile health facility that travels to areas where people sleep rough, providing basic health care, a GP service and access to addiction and mental health support services. Our key to success and unique selling point, is that we take healthcare to people that are on the margins of society, disengaged and in many cases dehumanised by wider society. Through the HealthBus and allied services, we provide hope and opportunity at the point of need. We provide: • Immediate GP services and treatment. • Physical and mental health assessments, drug, alcohol and lifestyle advice, prescriptions, blood tests and immunisations. • Referrals to other services such as podiatry, a homelessness nurse, addiction and mental health specialists. • Preventative healthcare for conditions that might develop or worsen, at a cost to the patient's health, if such a person were unable to access regular GP services, thus saving the associated accelerated cost to the NHS of such worsening conditions • Screening tests for treatable diseases • Eye test with an optometrist (a unique service as one would usually need an address to access such a specialist) • Providing education, information and practical assistance on how to treat people who are experiencing homelessness and / or sleeping rough. • Providing work placement opportunities for medical students, health and social work students and others Our drop-in clinic has seen a dramatic positive impact upon the health and wellbeing of the homeless population. A number of people are living on the streets with underlying health conditions and until accessing the HealthBus, they had not been accessing treatment for themselves until their condition was acute. We are helping them to maintain their condition, and, in some cases, we are aiding their recovery. Our accessible community service also reduces demand on secondary NHS care and other service providers.