How Leeds is meeting the health needs of homeless people living on the city's streets

There is also a group of maybe seven or more gathered at the bottom of Briggate - it sounds and looks chaotic.

The Yorkshire Evening Post is on a walkabout with Dominic Maddocks, an outreach streethealth worker for Leeds, where part of his role is to be out and about with a mobile surgery which literally treats rough-sleepers in the street.

However, Andrew (name changed) comes to his attention with a foot injury, propped up on a bent walking stick.

In between swearing, shouting, and a very quick rundown of his background, which included his sister being raped and his mother dying after an operation, we find out he fell off a wall while drinking, has struggled to get medical help and has been in severe pain for several days.

Andrew is up and down, lurching from one topic to another but after around ten minutes agrees to let Dom take a look and when he says he can help, Andrew is almost sobbing.

The difference is staggering.

Dominic says: “I am in his space and need to think what is appropriate for on the street. The way that you get attention is by shouting the loudest. He is not shouting at me, it is the way that you have got to be.”

The mobile surgery is parked a short distance away in a back street behind House of Fraser. As Andrew is being assessed, another rough sleeper arrives and almost sheepishly waits to be spoken to. A nurse practitioner colleague asks him if he needs anything and helps him with an infection.

At the same time a couple turn up. The woman is hardly awake, being propped up by her boyfriend. He politely asks me if I am in the queue, then do I work there. I say I am shadowing and he waits patiently. He wants some sanitary towels for his girlfriend which another nurse gets from the van. He asks if I am liking getting back to normal and we end up striking up a conversation about me working from home with my dog. He asks me about her and we chat casually for a few minutes. The nurse returns and asks if they are okay. He admits they have taken spice, saying, “we are homeless, there is nothing else to do”. The team offer to help sort accommodation but they decline and go on their way thanking the team for their help as they go.

It is almost an hour that Andrew has been with the team now and in that time they have sorted him a prescription for pain relief, an Xray appointment and emergency accommodation for the night.

A message from the Editor:

Leeds has a fantastic story to tell - and the Yorkshire Evening Post has been rooted firmly at the heart of telling the stories of our city since 1890. We believe in ourselves and hope you believe in us too. We need your support to help ensure we can continue to be at the heart of life in Leeds. https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/why-yorkshire-evening-post-needs-your-support-laura-collins-yep-editor-2913382 Subscribe to our website and enjoy unlimited access to local news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe. For more details on our newspaper subscription offers click here.

Thank you Laura Collins