The Homeless Die Prematurely From Treatable Diseases
Nearly a third of homeless people die from treatable conditions, meaning hundreds of deaths could potentially have been prevented, a major new study shows.
The research, by University College London (UCL), was exclusively shared with The Bureau Of Investigative Journalism (BIJ), and shows that homeless people are much more likely to die from certain conditions than even the poorest people who have a place to live.
The findings come as the final count from the BIJ’s ‘Dying Homeless’ project shows an average of 11 homeless people a week have died in the UK in the last 18 months. They have been collecting data dating back to October 2017 and telling the stories of those who have died on the streets or in temporary accommodation; their tally now stands at 796 people. Of those people they know the age of, more than a quarter were under-40 when then they died.
While many might assume hypothermia or drug and alcohol overdoses kill the majority of homeless people, this latest research by UCL shows that in fact most homeless people die from illnesses. Nearly a third of the deaths explored by UCL were from treatable illnesses like tuberculosis, pneumonia or gastric ulcers that could potentially have improved with the right medical care.
“To know that so many vulnerable people have died of conditions that were entirely treatable is heart-breaking,” said Matthew Downie, Director of Policy and External Affairs at Crisis. The government should make sure all homeless deaths were investigated to see if lessons could be learned, he said.
“But ultimately, 800 people dying homeless is unacceptable – we have the solutions to ensure no one has to spend their last days without a safe, stable roof over their head.
“By tackling the root causes of homelessness, like building the number of social homes we need and making sure our welfare system is there to support people when they fall on hard times, governments in England, Scotland and Wales can build on the positive steps they’ve already taken to reduce and ultimately end homelessness.”
Academics at UCL explored nearly 4,000 in-depth medical records for 600 people that died in English hospitals between 2013 and 2016 who were homeless when they were admitted. They compared them to the deaths of a similar group of people (in terms of age and sex) who had somewhere to live but were in the lowest socio-economic bracket. The research gives unprecedented insight into the range of medical causes of homeless deaths, and provides yet another reminder of how deadly homelessness is.
The homeless group was disproportionately affected by cardiovascular disease, which includes strokes and heart disease. The researchers found homeless people were twice as likely to die of strokes as the poorest people who had proper accommodation. A fifth of the 600 deaths explored by UCL were caused by cancer. Another fifth died from digestive diseases such as intestinal obstruction or pancreatitis.
The government has pledged to end rough sleeping by 2027, and has pledged £100m to try to achieve that goal, as part of an overall £1.2bn investment into tackling homelessness. Communities Secretary James Brokenshire, said: “No one is meant to spend their lives on the streets, or without a home to call their own,” said. “Every death on our streets is too many and it is simply unacceptable to see lives cut short this way.”
“I am also committed to ensuring independent reviews into the deaths of rough sleepers are conducted, where appropriate – and I will be holding local authorities to account in doing just that.”
