Leicester medical students create volunteer programme to support homeless people

Volunteer programme building on North American model to offer medical care for those most in need in the city

Medical students at the University of Leicester have designed and developed an interprofessional, student-led, response system to support homeless people in Leicester supported by health and social care students from De Montfort University.

The project involved medical students working jointly with academic staff and has resulted in the establishment of a charity called Project LIGHT (Leicester Initiative Good Health Team) and has been commended for encouraging partnership between students and academics.

One-in-three rough sleepers have an untreated health condition which they often ignore until their condition deteriorates and forces them to seek emergency medical care. The students found that many homeless people avoid going to current services provided, but 90 per cent would welcome clinical services from students, according to new research published in the Journal of Interprofessional Care.

Dr Robyn Goodier, Honorary Clinical Educator at the University of Leicester and one of the early student drivers of the project during her final year of study, said: "Despite having targeted services within the NHS, there are still individuals who do not seek help from them. This research proves the need for student-led healthcare to exist alongside these services for this hard to reach population.

"This is the first research in the UK of its kind and we hope that it provides the basis onto which we can build this charity whilst providing a new innovative curriculum for healthcare students. The educational package of skills required to work in Project LIGHT has been made into a student selected component module which runs twice a year at the University of Leicester with access to De Montfort University students as well, which has been a primary step in establishing the longevity of the project."

The students conducted a three week study of structured interviews with members of Leicester's homeless community to assess the need for such a service. They found that the majority of individuals surveyed had serious health problems and welcomed a student-support, with 61 per cent requesting a fixed location.

The model builds on the success of interprofessional student-led clinics in North America and involves medical and other healthcare students including nursing, pharmacy and social care, offering health promotion to homeless people through volunteering. The first partner for project LIGHT is Action Homeless, who provide a base for the students' work and support their learning needs. In this last year alone there have been over 12 sessions reaching more than 68 homeless people.

As a result of the initiative, each month students work together to deliver a health promotion session in one of the city's hostels. Students are responsive to the needs of the residents and these sessions have included some of the following: smoking cessation, basic first aid, harm reduction with alcohol and drugs, and sexual health.

The project was recently commended by the Higher Education Academy as a worthy example of partnership work between staff and students. Academic lead, Professor Liz Anderson, Professor of Interprofessional Education in the Department of Medical and Social Care Education added: "The enthusiasm of students to help and serve the local community, while advancing their professional knowledge skills and attitudes, has been overwhelming."

"Student views challenge staff to go beyond routine learning, opening doors for new innovations for the undergraduate healthcare curriculum in the UK. We are delighted to see students using their new competence to work with homeless people outside of the curriculum."

The students are also working with Inclusion Healthcare Social Enterprise and other charities, and have also received support from international student volunteering groups in Canada.