GIVING HELP
Street angel aids homeless
A drop-in clinic in Maidstone which has seen the homeless treated for a range of health conditions has been extended for another four months after a hugely successful trial.
The surgeries, held at Maidstone Day Centre on Thursday mornings from 9am, and previously at the town’s Marsham Street hostel, have seen rough sleepers receive care for diabetes, lung disease, pregnancy, wounds and skin ailments. They have been run over the last seven months by Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust (KCHFT) after a request from the borough council. Complex care nurse, Claire Knight, and head of adult and community services, Stephanie Rhodes, have been behind the project, which brings a number of local services together under one roof, including midwives, a heart failure nurse and a Macmillan cancer support nurse, with one patient needing end of life care.
Claire also advises people on reducing their chances of becoming ill as well as selfcare, where to go for support with mental health issues and financial advice.
Claire even managed to get one man a bike after he said he felt isolated and unable to get around due to a lack of money. Also donated were clothes, sleeping bags, tents, food and a mobile phone, to make it easier for another patient to contact his GP. The trial was due to end this month but its success has seen it extended until March. Discussions are also underway in nearby towns about running similar services.
Stephanie said: “Rough sleepers were falling through the healthcare net and this project aims to find them and give them accessible and non-judgemental healthcare. The programme has seen us make a real difference to the lives of rough sleepers. Getting the bike for one homeless man was life changing for him. “There is so much more to do and scope for providing care for this vulnerable group of people.”