Crisis is a charity dedicated to ending homelessness by delivering life-changing services and campaigning for change. The Crisis team are determined campaigners, working to prevent people from becoming homeless and finding solutions informed by research and direct experience.
For many years we have encouraged our employees to volunteer with Crisis, and have supported the medical services provided by the charity at their Christmas shelters over the festive period, as well as their Christmas Card Challenge.
Many homeless people have severe and often multiple health issues. Drug and alcohol dependency are prevalent among the homeless, as are mental health problems. Because so many homeless people are not registered with a GP, when they do finally access services it tends to be via A&E. In an average hospital in London, homeless people attend A&E six times more often than non-homeless people. They are admitted four times as often and stay twice as long.
As learning and skills go hand in hand with the provision of tailored health and well-being services for homeless people, GSK is now funding a year-round health and well-being service, which will build on our previous support for health services at Crisis’s Open Christmas.