Author: Jodie Chan, Public Involvement Officer

Supporting the safe and meaningful involvement of women experiencing homelessness in research

IGHI recently received funding from the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR) for an 18-month project in partnership with the Marylebone Project and Central London Healthcare which focuses on supporting the safe and meaningful involvement of women experiencing homelessness in research.

People experiencing homelessness have shorter life expectancies, poorer physical and mental health, and less access to healthcare than the general population. For women experiencing homelessness, the average age of death is 43 – two years younger than men and nearly half the life expectancy of women in the general population. Many homeless women are survivors of abuse, and more research is needed to provide specialised, female-led support for this group in safe, trauma-informed spaces.

Waiting well

We know people are waiting a long time to receive treatment. We also know people living in less advantaged areas experience health inequalities. Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and the Helix Centre carried out a project, funded by the North West London Integrated Care Board, to understand the challenges faced by people living in less advantaged areas while waiting for orthopaedic treatment and to design tailored support initiatives that might help people to live well while waiting. To do this, we interviewed 7 patients to understand their experience of waiting for an orthopaedic procedure. Then we held a workshop with 8 patients at the Bush Theatre to design support ideas in response to the key insights from the interviews.