Homeless numbers in A&E ‘grew fivefold over past decade’

The number of homeless people admitted to emergency departments in Irish hospitals grew five-fold over the past decade, according to a new study.

More than half of the 2,051 people with no fixed abode who were admitted to the departments over the period had a mental health or behavioural diagnosis, the study by HSE and Focus Ireland staff shows.

Of these, one-third were abusing alcohol and one-fifth had a substance abuse diagnosis.

Some 29 homeless people died in hospital during the period between 2006 and 2016, with an average age of just 48-years-old, the study, which was published in the Irish Medical Journal, shows.

Men outnumbered women by four-to-one among the homeless people admitted to hospitals over the decade.

Almost 85 per cent of the admissions were to Dublin hospitals.

The authors say the increase in admissions of homeless people is likely to be contributing to overcrowding in emergency departments.With an average length of stay of 6.5 days, they are also placing demands on hospital beds.

The study says: “Although health issues such as alcohol and drug misuse may have contributed to homelessness, these findings suggest that being homeless itself has a significant impact on health.”

Solution

The study says the best solution to the problem involved ending the homelessness of those admitted to hospital.

It also says the growing number of admissions represents both a serious problem and a real opportunity.

“The problems reside both in the poor health of the homeless population; the transient nature of homelessness which leads to poor access to primary care services and the substantial cost to the health service in dealing with these problems in an acute hospital setting.”

However, the authors say an opportunity could arise from a reconfiguration of the relationship between homeless services and health services.

They say the transition between the two systems should provide a pathway to appropriate supports, rather than “places where vulnerable people can become lost”.