Pathway is the UK’s leading homeless healthcare charity. Our model of integrated care operates within NHS services, bringing together teams of NHS, local authority and voluntary sector professionals to improve healthcare for homeless people. Each team includes a specialist GP, nurses, housing professionals and in some hospitals, Pathway Care Navigators: people who were once homeless who we train to support homeless patients.

The Pathway model provides

• Housing and benefits advice
• Help to recover important documents such as birth certificates, passports etc
• Links to community services
• Support and collaboration with other clinicians e.g. advice on drug interactions, addictions, personality issues etc.
• Complex care planning and discharge liaison
• Referral for addictions support
• Help with GP registration
• Fresh clothes, shoes and other basics (for example where these have been destroyed because of infection/infestation)
• Help to reconnect with loved ones

Professor Aidan Halligan and Dr Nigel Hewett started looking at the quality of care received by homeless patients in University College Hospital in London in 2009.  After an audit of admissions data Nigel and nurse Trudy Boyce began modelling a service and working patients in autumn 2009. Our first data showing initial positive outcomes for patients and improvements for the hospital was published in December 2009.

In April 2010 they registered as a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee (with the name ‘the London Pathway). In November 2010 they achieved full charitable registration and held our first full meeting of Pathway’s Board of Trustees.

London Pathway changed to Pathway in 2013, this reflects the work we now across the UK.