STREET MEDICINE
Street Medicine is healthcare delivered where people actually live, not where the system expects them to be. Instead of asking someone to attend a clinic, teams bring care to the street: under bridges, in parks, in encampments, at shelters, in squats, or wherever people are staying. The purpose is simple: remove barriers. When daily life is about staying warm, finding food, avoiding violence, or coping with addiction or trauma, appointments, paperwork and transport often become impossible. Street Medicine lowers the threshold to care by meeting people on their terms, building trust through repeated contact, and creating a realistic pathway into mainstream services. Street Medicine is often the first step in a longer journey—connecting people to primary care, mental health support, harm reduction services, social protection, housing resources, and specialist care when needed.
Who does Street Medicine serve?
Street Medicine primarily supports people experiencing homelessness and severe social exclusion, especially those who are unsheltered. This includes people sleeping rough, living in temporary arrangements, or moving between the street, shelters and unstable accommodation. These communities face higher rates of chronic illness, infections (including hepatitis and tuberculosis), mental health conditions, and substance use disorders. Many have also had negative experiences with healthcare—stigma, lack of documentation, language barriers, or repeated rejection—which can lead them to delay care until problems become urgent. Street Medicine focuses on those who are most likely to be missed by conventional services: people who are hardest to reach and least likely to attend a clinic on their own
How does the model work?
Street Medicine is built on proactive outreach. Teams regularly visit areas where people gather and offer practical, immediate support—often in informal settings. Depending on the context and resources, street teams can provide: Basic clinical assessments and treatment Wound care and infection management Vaccination and preventive care Rapid tests and screening (e.g., HIV, hepatitis, glucose checks) Medication support and prescriptions (where feasible) Health education and harm reduction Navigation and accompaniment to services (appointments, referrals, registration) A defining feature is relationship-based care. Trust is rarely built in one visit. Many teams return to the same locations on a predictable schedule so people know when and where they can find support.
Why is Street Medicine needed?
Traditional healthcare often fails people on the margins. Common barriers include lack of ID or address, complicated registration processes, long waiting times, transport costs, stigma, language issues, and prior trauma within institutions. The result is avoidable suffering: minor wounds become serious infections, chronic conditions worsen, and preventable illnesses end in emergency admissions. Street Medicine addresses this gap early, with a practical approach that is both cost-effective and ethically necessary. It brings care to those who would otherwise remain outside the health system.
Is Street Medicine a substitute for mainstream healthcare?
No. Street Medicine is designed to complement existing services, not replace them. It provides low-threshold, immediate support while working toward longer-term goals: stable follow-up, continuity of care, and connection to primary and specialist services. A good Street Medicine program acts as a bridge—reducing emergency crises and supporting safer, more coordinated care across the health and social system.
Alternative models that often work alongside Street Medicine
Street Medicine is most effective when linked to other approaches, such as: Homeless-focused primary care clinics (walk-in, low-barrier services) Shelter-based clinics and health sessions at day centres or soup kitchens Mobile health units (vans/buses with more privacy and equipment) Housing First programmes with integrated health and social support In many cities, the best results come from combining these models into a coherent pathway
Who is on a Street Medicine team?
Street Medicine is typically delivered by multidisciplinary teams that can respond to both health needs and social determinants. Teams often include: Doctors and/or advanced practice nurses Nurses with strong community and wound-care experience Social workers or case managers Outreach workers and peer navigators (often with lived experience) Mental health professionals (when available) Cultural mediators/interpreters in diverse settings This mix allows teams to address acute health issues while also supporting access to benefits, documentation, housing pathways and ongoing care.
Mobile clinics: healthcare on wheels
Many Street Medicine programmes use mobile units—vans or buses equipped as small clinics. These vehicles provide privacy and allow services that are difficult to deliver outdoors (sensitive consultations, basic procedures, sample collection, vaccine storage, or digital registration). Mobile units can operate as a hub at fixed sites or as part of outreach routes, helping services reach more people across different neighbourhoods.
Working in cities and rural areas
In cities, outreach often focuses on known gathering points and repeated routes. In rural settings, homelessness may be less visible and more dispersed—requiring longer travel, more planning and stronger links with local networks. The principle remains the same: go to the person, adapt to the context, and provide care with dignity and consistency.
Integration with health and social services
Street Medicine works best when it is connected to the wider system: hospitals, primary care, public health, mental health, addiction services, and social support. The aim is not only to treat what is visible today, but to create continuity and reduce the risk of people falling through gaps tomorrow.