Arch Health CIC expanded outreach service: case study

Arch Health CIC expanded outreach service: case study

Arch Healthcare provides specialist primary care services for people facing homelessness in Brighton and Hove. ARCH stands for Accessible, Restorative, Community Healthcare, so we are always looking for ways to make our service more accessible to people who may not be able to reach our surgery, in the heart of the city, or who may not be aware of our service. Our newly expanded outreach service was established in order to address this.

The team is made up of GP Tal, Advanced Nurse Practitioner Ruth, who is the Outreach Coordinator, and Jess, the Outreach Health Engagement Worker. They see patients in a variety of settings, including hostels, outreach clinics or at their sleep sites (doorways, sheds, stairwells, car parks and tents). They also run regular clinics at day centres and other locations and services, and partner with outreach organisations on a regular basis to reach people in different locations, over evenings and weekends. To navigate the topography and street layout of Brighton speedily and easily, the team uses e-bikes to travel around, maintaining the ability to see and find patients opportunistically.

The outreach service has been involved in a wide variety of consultation types including the management of acute illness and injuries, and monitoring of long-term conditions. It has also been useful in helping to raise awareness of Arch, and what the surgery can offer to people facing homelessness.

Outreach Coordinator Ruth arranged a visit to a local Travellers site with the organisation Friends Family & Travellers (FFT) with a view to setting up a monthly outreach clinic. During this visit, numerous residents expressed concerns about a new locked barrier that had been introduced at the site entrance, reporting that on 2 occasions, ambulances had experienced delays accessing unwell patients because of the barrier.

Arch’s outreach team liaised with FFT, the Ambulance service, Fire brigade and Brighton & Hove council. As a result, the barrier was unlocked, reducing risks associated with delayed emergency vehicle access. This success was also important in establishing trust with the local Gypsy and Traveller community.

“You will be happy as well as me to hear that they have removed the barrier from the site entrance which was an issue for site residents when we visited site last year. Thank you very much for your help on this and residents have also thanked us.”

“This is an excellent outcome and thanks for your hard work on this! This change will make a huge difference to residents’ lives.” (Project co-ordinator, Friends, Family and Travellers).

• Establishing relationships with partner organisations (e.g. day centres, hostels, specialist services), in order to run regular clinics and reach people where they are, has been key in reaching people who might have been unaware of Arch, or physically unable to get to the surgery. The team continue to work in an agile and flexible manner, so as to continue to reach people and offer support in the most effective and accessible way.

• Using e-bikes instead of a vehicle, enables spontaneous and opportunistic contact with people, and also contributes to brand recognition, raising awareness of Arch’s specialist service among those who weren’t aware of it previously.

• As the team builds up relationships with key partners, and demand for regular clinics grows, the team continues to put careful thought into the balance between regular consultations and one-off, opportunistic contacts, reaching new patients in need of healthcare.