Nurse-led homeless intermediate care: an economic evaluation.

This article describes a homeless intermediate care pilot project that took place at a 120-bedded homeless hostel in South London in 2009. During the year, 34 hostel clients directly benefited from intermediate care. At the end of the year, the number of hospital admissions to the hostel had dropped 77% relative to 2008, and the number of accident and emergency (A&E) attendances had dropped 52%. Hospital 'did not attends' (DNAs) were 22% lower. An economic evaluation found that the pilot project was cost neutral overall, and there is some evidence that health outcomes improved. The project now has mainstream funding and has recently received a national community nursing award. Its success has been recognized nationally as an example of innovative practice in work with vulnerable groups (Department of Health (DH), 2010).