Homeless person in hospital for 242 days despite being fit for discharge

Homeless person spent 242 days in hospital Credit: ITV Central

Homeless people who have been admitted to hospital are being kept in, despite being fit to be discharged, according to The Doctor, the British Medical Association magazine.

Investigating homelessness in Nottingham it found the number of homeless people admitted to hospital in the city has risen. One person who had stayed in for almost 250 days

According to the Department for Health, the average cost to the NHS for a day in a hospital bed is £400, meaning this person could have cost around £96,000 for the NHS.

Life expectancy for homeless men is 47 – and just 43 for women.

Stephen Willott, a Nottingham GP who sees homeless patients at homeless drop-in centre The Friary in West Bridgford, and is clinical lead for drugs and alcohol in the city, revealed the wide range of health issues which affect people on the streets.