Providing accessible healthcare for all

Christina Asante works in the Health Inclusion team as a community specialist nurse working with people who sleep rough. She is passionate about providing accessible healthcare for all, and reducing inequalities.

She said: “Ever since I trained to be a nurse, I wanted to work with rough sleepers. They’re a part of the community that can be overlooked. When I was a student nurse, I was on placement and I worked alongside a community nurse who worked directly with rough sleepers. Until then, I didn’t know there was dedicated nursing role for homeless people.”

Christina qualified as a nurse in 2017, and joined the Trust shortly after, working in different departments including ophthalmology and the pilot project for Neighbourhood Nursing.?

She said: “I joined the Health Inclusion team in November 2022. Each week I visit people sleeping rough on the streets across Lewisham, with an outreach worker. I assess their physical and mental health needs, and any support they require. If they need direct access to healthcare, I can set up an appointment for a full health assessment in a day centre with me and one of the specialist GPs. Once a week, I work at a clinic in a hostel and at a day centre for rough sleepers.

“My day starts at 5.30am when we get out in the local community to beat the morning rush. Every week I see a mix of people, some of them might be new to our services whereas some I might have spoken to before.

“My job can be tough and you need a lot of resilience. Every day is different. You’re working with a group of people with specific healthcare needs, but instead of them presenting in a clinical environment, we’re approaching them. However, my favourite part of the role is how rewarding it is. The job is so fulfilling and that’s what makes getting up at 5am worth it!”

Having the right skills for the job is vital to working out on the streets in the community.

Christina added: “Every day I use the skills that I learnt during my nursing training and in my previous roles. You have to be compassionate and non-judgemental. All the qualities I learned in community nursing, I apply to my patients now. I would encourage anyone who is thinking of getting into specialist nursing for rough sleepers to take the leap!”

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