A group of dedicated homelessness services have partnered up in order to provide a mobile Covid-19 vaccination service for those experiencing homelessness in Brighton and Hove. Arch Healthcare, along with partners Justlife, Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust and St John Ambulance, have been visiting key locations across the city to reach vulnerable people who, whilst falling into a vaccine priority group due to health challenges, may not be able to travel to a central vaccination site. Working three days a week, this small, dedicated team reached almost 200 people within the first two weeks, well on target to reach the goal of vaccinating 1000 people over the initial eight-week set period for the outreach.
The service’s success thus far has prompted national media interest, with coverage appearing on the BBC (BBC News South East) and on the BBC news pages on the 21st of February. This will add to the growing number of case studies, from various locations across the UK (such as Liverpool) showcasing successful outreach efforts to vaccinate people facing homelessness. These are all powered by dedicated local teams who recognise the importance of this outreach as part of the NHS’s nationwide effort to get us all vaccinated by summer 2021.
Gary Bishop, CEO and Director at Arch, said,
“With a mobile treatment unit provided by St John Ambulance and a highly skilled, experienced team with great local knowledge, we’ve been able to make the most of every single visit to key locations across the city. Advance communication and engagement of key frontline workers such as hostel managers has ensured that there has been an eager uptake of the vaccine, with residents briefed and ready. The process has been really smooth, and we have been received with enthusiasm wherever we go! This is a huge credit to the accommodation providers we’ve worked with across the city”
Simon Gale, CEO at Justlife says,
“We are so pleased to be a part of this successful and vital outreach project, ensuring that the national vaccine rollout scheme doesn’t miss some of those most in need of it. Vaccination centres can be hard to reach due to mobility issues (lack of transport, disabilities), or because people facing homelessness may also face challenges in accessing healthcare. We cannot let these people be left out and exposed to infection – for this national drive to be successful, we are playing our part to ensure coverage is truly universal.”
For further information on the service, please contact Louisa Barkla, Communications Coordinator, Arch Healthcare: Louisa.barkla@nhs.net
