Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40017985›Full record

ArticleBMJ public health2025

'The lights are on, and the doors are always open': a qualitative study to understand challenges underlying the need for emergency care in people experiencing homelessness in rural and coastal North East England.

Steven A Thirkle, Emma A Adams, Jill Harland, Deepti A John, Eileen Kaner, Sheena E Ramsay

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Steven A ThirklePopulation Health Sciences Institute, Newcastle University Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-6115-6637
Emma A AdamsPopulation Health Sciences Institute, Newcastle University Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
Jill HarlandHexham General Hospital, Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Hexham, UK.
Deepti A JohnPopulation Health Sciences Institute, Newcastle University Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-3969-7821
Eileen KanerPopulation Health Sciences Institute, Newcastle University Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
Sheena E RamsayPopulation Health Sciences Institute, Newcastle University Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.

Funding

Wellcome Trust
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: People experiencing homelessness have high rates of emergency care attendance compared with the general population. This study explores the factors underlying the need for emergency care services among people experiencing homelessness in rural and coastal areas of North East England. Methods: The study was conducted in Northumberland and North Tyneside (North East England). One-to-one semistructured interviews were conducted with people experiencing homelessness. Interviews and focus groups were undertaken with frontline staff from housing associations, police, ambulance services, emergency care, primary healthcare, mental health services and alcohol and drug recovery services. Discussions centred on emergency care experiences, reasons for access and underlying health and social needs. Results: Participants included 20 people experiencing homelessness (aged 18-56, 70% male) and 18 service professionals (aged 20-56, 56% female). Emergency care was often viewed by participants as an accessible safe place. Four key themes were found in this rural and coastal context: accessibility challenges due to limited public transport and geographic isolation; fragmented support exacerbated by widely dispersed services; service restrictions and limited alternatives having particular impact where options are few and prioritisation of immediate needs influenced by limited local resources. Conclusion: Challenges in accessing primary healthcare and social care, alongside varying levels of timely support and understanding of individual contexts, can contribute to the increased use of emergency care for people experiencing homelessness in rural and coastal areas. Integrating services with a focus on flexibility could be crucial for addressing the needs of these populations. This involves adapting to the unique circumstances of multiple deprived groups who lack access to community support.

Indexed as

Community HealthEmergenciesPublic Health

Identifiers

PMID40017985
PMCPMC11842980

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.