Surgeries face sanctions for refusing to help the homeless

Dr Zahid Chauhan, founder of Homeless-Friendly

GP's could be brought to book if they don't treat rough sleepers with the same dignity and respect they offer other members of society.

Charity Homeless-Friendly plans to provide a phone line for homeless people listing where they can find doctors sympathetic to their needs, but they will also encourage callers to report rogue surgeries who refuse to care for them – details of which could be then passed to national health watch dogs.

Local GP, Dr Zahid Chauhan, founder of Homeless-Friendly said: “NHS guidelines could not be clearer.

“A lack of permanent address should be no barrier to rough sleepers or sofa surfers receiving the same care as you or I.

“Yet that it still happening. The result is that homeless people travel miles to Accident and Emergency units, going through agonising pain and receiving expensive treatment – if they get there in time.”

The charity is organising Greater Manchester's event for the World's Big Sleep Out (Saturday 7 December) and proceeds raised will be ploughed into staffing a phone line detailing homeless-friendly surgeries. Any practice that turns the homeless away could then be reported to the Care Quality Commission – which oversees standards across the NHS.

Since its inception two years ago, Homeless-Friendly has been on what Dr Chauhan calls, “a charm offensive” to encourage health carers to welcome rough sleepers and be an information hub for them to find employment opportunities, curb addiction and provide temporary and permanent housing.

Dr Chauhan said: “Allied to the shame and misery of being homeless, there are desperate health problems to overcome, from susceptibility to deadly infections like pneumonia to severe dental pain.

“The life expectancy of a rough sleeper is just 47 years-of age.

“It has been so positive to see so many surgeries, hospitals and hospices respond to our plea to improve, but there are clearly practices out there that shun homeless people.”

Homeless-Friendly announced their plans on what is World Homeless Day, 10 October.

Celebrating 10 years since its creation, this campaign aims ‘to draw attention to homeless people’s needs locally and provide opportunities for the community to get involved in responding to homelessness, while taking advantage of the stage an ‘international day’ provides’.