NHS: Nurses Coming to Aid the Poor

Britain’s largest nursing union has formed a unique partnership with the organisation most recognised for representing homelessness. The Royal College of Nursing has begun a three-year sponsorship of the Big Issue magazine to try to ease the social burden of rough sleepers and those left destitute.

The deal will see the RCN logo of two hands featured prominently on the red tabards worn by the UK’s 1,500 Big Issue when selling the weekly magazine. The two hands on the tabard will sit above the name of the RCN and serve as a reminder of the magazine’s founding principle: “A hand up, not a hand-out.”

Janet Davies, the chief executive of the RCN, (left) said the emblem symbolised the shared values of the two organisations. “These hands are my organisation’s symbol to represent the everyday work and values of our nurses and we could not have found a more appropriate organisation with which to partner,” she said.

Davies said that one of the earliest lessons she learned when training as a nurse in the 1970s was the importance of looking for causes rather than simply treating symptoms. Nurses do this all day long.

“What lies behind today’s sharp increases in homelessness and rough sleeping is as varied as it is complex,” she said. “But it is fair to say poor health cuts across the two as a cause and effect of homelessness. Frequently multiple underlying mental and physical health issues contribute to someone sleeping rough. The longer they do, the greater the risk that these problems will worsen.”

Bracing for Winter

Big Issue founder Lord John Bird (left), said the magazine operation is designed to help people help themselves.  “Vendors buy the Big Issue magazine for £1.25 and sell it for £2.50, meaning each seller is a micro-entrepreneur who is working, not begging,” he said. “The eye-catching red tabards are a vital part of the operation of their business, helping them to stand out to their customers.”

“Therefore, we are enormously grateful to the Royal College of Nursing for sponsoring our iconic red tabards for the next three years and helping us to support our vendors across the UK.”

The RCN chief called for urgent action to improve NHS care for the homeless, including more specialised training for nurses. Davies said it was vital to fill gaps in care for the homeless and rough sleepers now that the hardest winter months have arrived.

Calling for improved training for nurses and NHS professionals on the causes and consequences of homelessness, she said the nursing profession and the Big Issue charity had similar goals when it came to helping the most vulnerable members of society.

“A nurse’s role focuses on maximising potential and enabling independence, which is why we believe supporting the work of the Big Issue is so relevant for us,” she said. “Nursing staff are ready to play a part in making this winter and the year that follows it a much-needed moment of change.”

No Address Needed

Davies backed a range of specific reforms, including measures to inform health workers about support services for the homeless and efforts to encourage people without a fixed address to register with a GP surgery.

“Winter is fast approaching and the four governments of the UK and their NHS must agree a rapid plan to make routine care and treatment more easily available during these harsh months,” she warned. “They must redouble efforts to let those without a fixed address know that GPs are able to make exceptions and make sure surgeries are left in no doubt.”

Many homeless people mistakenly believe they need proof of address to register with a GP. Davies said they do not need a fixed address, pointing to a successful scheme in London that has helped raise awareness by distributing information cards at homeless shelters and food banks.

 

by Bob Graham

The post NHS: Nurses Coming to Aid the Poor appeared first on Felix Magazine.