Nottingham CityCare Partnership has proudly played a pivotal role in a ground-breaking initiative that recently won the Urgent and Emergency Care Safety Initiative of the Year at the prestigious HSJ Patient Safety Awards 2025.
The award celebrates the success of the ‘Respiratory Rough Sleepers Virtual Ward’, a pioneering clinic that delivers hospital-level respiratory care to people experiencing homelessness in Nottingham.
Launched in August 2024, the clinic was designed to address the stark health inequalities faced by rough sleepers, whose average life expectancy in the UK is just 44 years. Respiratory disease is one of the leading causes of death among this vulnerable group, and traditional healthcare pathways often fail to meet their needs due to barriers such as stigma, lack of access, and unstable living conditions.
The clinic, based at the Nottingham Recovery Network’s Wellbeing Hub, is a collaborative effort between Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Framework, and Nottingham CityCare, among others. Together, these partners have created a compassionate and effective model of care that has already supported over 70 patients, reducing hospital admissions and emergency department visits.
Nottingham CityCare’s involvement has been instrumental in the clinic’s success. The organisation provided collaborative planning, care coordination, and access to urgent treatment centre (UTC) x-ray facilities on clinic days. NCCP’s Homeless Health Team (HHT), led by Suzey Joseph, CityCare’s Homeless Health Clinical Lead, ensured pre-clinic referral preparation and monitored attendance, while Susan Stimson, Homeless Health Specialist Care Coordinator, played a key role in coordinating referrals and supporting patients during clinic sessions.
The clinic’s success lies not only in its clinical outcomes but also in its innovative outreach model. Framework’s frontline workers engage with rough sleepers ahead of clinic days, offering food vouchers and personal invitations to attend. This approach helps overcome barriers and builds trust with individuals who might otherwise avoid healthcare settings.
Respiratory Medicine Professor Dominick Shaw, who led the clinic’s development, described the initiative as “a hospital-level respiratory service delivered in a place where patients feel safe and respected.” He praised the multidisciplinary team’s dedication to improving outcomes for rough sleepers and emphasised the clinic’s potential to expand across the East Midlands.
CityCare’s involvement in this award-winning initiative exemplifies its commitment to partnership working, patient safety, and social impact. We champion innovative approaches to care, particularly for those most at risk of falling through the cracks.
As the clinic looks to expand its reach, CityCare remains a vital partner in ensuring that compassion and collaboration remain at the heart of healthcare delivery in Nottingham.
Date published: 10 November 2025
