Homeless health - Transformation Partners in Health and Care

The Homeless Health Operations Centre was staffed by the Healthy London Partnership, supporting the London COVID-19 Homeless Health Response Cell, as a multi-agency approach to managing the health needs and minimising the transmission of COVID-19 within the homeless population in London. This is set out in our initial operating manual.

The redeployed members of the team have returned to business as usual and handed work over to London’s Integrated Care Systems and local areas. Please see key information to assist with continued partnership working in the revised version of the operating manual August 2020.

General guidance

NHS England and Improvement COVID-19 Homeless Health response

NHS England and Improvement COVID-19 Homeless Health Staffing approaches and Homeless Health Oversight Implementation

NHS England Mental Health and Primary Care guidance

Latest Public Health England guidance.

Doctors of the World COVID-19 latest NHS guidelines translated into 49 languages

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Guidance for commissioners

Ideal staffing and equipment specifications for COVID facilities

Site operational commissioning checklist for COVID CARE facility

Site operational commissioning checklist for COVID PROTECT facility

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Information for hotels

Communication Processes for COVID Hotels and Hostels

Health model for care in COVID-PROTECT sites

COVID symptoms notice for hotels. To be edited with local details, printed out and put under everyone’s door when they come in

Homeless Hotel poster (this can also be used in hostels)

Key contacts poster

FAQs on PPE and cleaning for GLA-funded COVID-19 response hotels

Guidance on referral into COVID CARE for non-clinical settings

COVID CARE referral form

Hostel and Hotel transfer for people accepted into COVID care

Managing Covid hotels interview: Sam Dorney Smith, Senior Nursing Fellow at Pathway, has shared her valuable insight to meeting this challenge with us. Watch the video to learn about the process of setting them up, the challenges and guidance for other sites (YouTube).

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Information for hostels

Hostel Frequently Asked Questions and guidance on adapting facilities and procedures during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic

Communication Processes for COVID Hotels and Hostels

Quick PPE reference guide for those working in hostels

Guidance on referral into COVID CARE for non-clinical settings

COVID CARE referral form

Transfer form for people accepted into COVID CARE from hotel or hostel

Webinar – ‘Supporting homeless hostels in responding to COVID-19’ (29 April 2020, presenters from UCL/Pathway, PHE, GLA, Look Ahead) – watch again here and find the full slide pack here.

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Referrals for testing and COVID CARE

Guidance on referral into COVID CARE for non-clinical settings.

Hostels should complete the UCL Collaborative centre for inclusion health symptom surveillance survey here Baseline survey – link and sign up to daily reporting Daily survey – link and short linked referral form which will alert the COVID Care team should you have any new symptomatic cases and they will make contact.

Hotels should complete the referral form available here COVID CARE referral form

Hospital discharge

Management of Homeless Patients on discharge from hospital; pathway, process map and referral form for hospital discharge

Management of Homeless patients on discharge from the emergency department process

Information on Duty to Refer

Please refer any homeless clients who attends a site directly to StreetLink London or contact your local Homeless Outreach team.

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Information for primary and community care

Primary Care Standards COVID-19 Homeless Health

Recommended PPE for primary, outpatient and community care by setting, NHS and independent sector. Need to wear face and eye protection to see symptomatic patients (would include visors) and surgical masks when seeing asymptomatic ‘extremely vulnerable’ patients (COVID PROTECT).

Guidance for putting on and removal of PPE

British Medical Journal visual summary for COVID-19 remote consultations. A quick guide to assessing patients by video or voice calls

Hierarchy of Vulnerabilities and risk factors for COVID-19 for ARC

Barnet CCG Primary Care Guide during COVID-19 flowchart

NHS England National Early Warning Scores (NEWS)

Community testing for suspected COVID-19

Primary Care and Community Respiratory Resource pack for use during COVID-19

Pragmatic guidance from the Primary Care Respiratory Society (PCRS), for the routine and crisis management of patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) during the COVID-19 epidemic. Nebulisers should, where possible, be avoided for acute attacks due to the increased risk of disseminating COVID-19 (to other patients AND to physicians, nurses and other personnel)

COVID-19 Homeless urgent dental pathway

Finding an NHS dentist in London during Covid-19

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Drug and alcohol guidance

PHE and Department of health and social care (DHSC) COVID-19 guidance for commissioners and providers of services for people who use drugs or alcohol

Launch of Pan London Homeless Hotels Drug and Alcohol Support Service (HDAS London)

Protocol for the management of alcohol withdrawal in temporary homeless hotels during COVID-19

Protocol for the management of nicotine withdrawal in temporary homeless hotels during COVID-19

Protocol for the management of opioid dependance in temporary homeless hotels during COVID-19

Harm reduction strategies for alcohol dependence

Link to training video for tobacco harm reduction and e-cigarettes (HDAS London)

Additional resources and poster on substance misuse (article on supervised consumption during COVID-19 and information on naloxone including when and how to administer Prenoxad Injection)

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