Crisis expands support through merger with healthcare charity

Crisis is merging with fellow homelessness charity Pathway, which specialises in supporting the health needs of people without a home.

The move will see Crisis expand its reach to specialise in tackling health inequalities among the homeless.

According to a statement from the two charities, the merger aims to increase the number of hospital teams working with homeless patients, work with healthcare services to prevent homelessness as well as campaign for better healthcare.

It will also look at tackling gaps in research into the health of homeless people, narrowing health inequalities and “assess the impact of government policies and the solutions needed to end homelessness for good”.

Crisis chief executive Jon Sparkes said: “Having worked together successfully for many years, this merger is an exciting opportunity for both charities to combine our expertise, resources and voices at a time when people experiencing homelessness need us more than ever.

“The pandemic has further exposed how dangerous it can be for our health when we don’t have somewhere safe to call home, yet far too often people are discharged from hospitals with nowhere to go.

“We are determined to see this change and will be working together to ensure that the NHS and wider health and social care system plays its part in helping to achieve our shared goal of ending homelessness for good.”