Homelessness and Barriers to Primary Healthcare

Key findings

• 100% of respondents (29 of 29) were registered with a GP, though some had needed support with the process — most commonly from a support worker, but also from GP reception staff or friends. In contrast, only 44% were registered with a dentist (registration isn't required for NHS dental treatment).
• While all respondents had seen a GP in the past year, 7 had not seen a dentist in over two years.
• The most common barrier to seeing a GP was anxiety or depression (62.1%), followed by feeling judged or stereotyped by healthcare practitioners and fear of diagnosis (27.6% each). A similar pattern applied to dental care.
• Experiences were mixed: many praised helpful, friendly staff, but others described feeling judged, rushed, or not listened to. Only 57% felt listened to by their GP, only 43% felt involved in decisions about their care, and just 32% felt they had enough time to discuss their concerns — particularly around mental health.
• Findings for dental appointments followed a similar but slightly more positive pattern (e.g. 55% felt listened to, 66.7% felt things were clearly explained).
• The report notes these experiences broadly echo Healthwatch's earlier general GP Experiences report, suggesting some issues aren't unique to homeless people — but factors like feeling stereotyped appear to affect homeless patients more specifically.

Recommendations

• Ensure support is available (or people can be signposted to it) to help homeless people register with a GP and/or dentist.
• Ensure staff are mindful that homeless patients may feel anxious or depressed, providing a welcoming atmosphere and reasonable reception waiting times.
• Allow sufficient appointment time for homeless patients to discuss physical and mental health concerns without feeling rushed.
• Ensure homeless patients are listened to and involved in decisions about their care.
• Ensure homeless patients are treated with the same respect and dignity as all other patients, without stigma attached to their housing status.