Sarah Gallagher
Lead Nurse/Health Inequalities Lead
Cheltenham Central PCN (Primary Care Network)
The Journey
Sarah knew that people experiencing misuse problems or homelessness, are often difficult to engage with because of their chaotic lifestyles. She wanted to provide healthcare at familiar, trusted locations to better support these patients.
Her data analysis revealed a high number of substance misusers at one practice, prompting a Quality Improvement project to improve health prevention uptake. This uncovered wider issues, leading her to work with patients who already attended the charity “Opendoor”.
Homelessness costs the NHS nearly £4,500 per person annually in healthcare, with an estimated 27% of the homeless population misusing substances.
The Innovation
Sarah regularly met with the charity to assess needs, learning that patient-led interventions were key. Despite challenges for service access, she collaborated with various organisations and health professionals. Over time, the team expanded to include hospital and social prescriber support, enhancing health interventions.
The Impact
- Improved patient access to health care provision for hard-to-reach communities
- Improved patient outcomes and experience
- Increased patient uptake of vaccinations and health screening, e.g. Hepatitis C
- Increased collaborative working with the Voluntary Sector, e.g. art based mental health interventions
