West Norfolk professor leading team of experts for new project tackling cancer in homeless people

A professor from Lynn is leading a team of health experts working on a ground-breaking project to tackle cancer among the homeless.The pioneering two-year scheme – which aims to break down barriers to healthcare – will operate in Lynn, Wisbech, Cambridge and Peterborough, and will see specially trained Health Navigators working from health centres and homelessness services.Led by the East of England Cancer Alliance in a unique link up with Anglia Ruskin University, the initiative recognises the homeless often face significant barriers to getting basic healthcare.

The pilot project involved a partnership with the town’s Purfleet Trust, which supports the homeless, and the new scheme is based on an initial pilot project called Cancerless, involving public health and clinical experts from across Europe, led by former King Edward VII (KES) Academy pupil, Lee Smith, Professor of Public Health at Anglia Ruskin.Prof Smith, 41, was honoured in the Your Local Paper Local Heroes Awards 2023 when he was voted Health Professional of the Year. Award judges heard about his pioneering work in the prevention of Covid.A medical scientist with international acclaim in several fields, Prof Smith was named as one of the world’s most influential scientists in the Highly Cited Researchers 2023 list. Speaking about the new project, Prof Smith said: “We have seen some incredibly promising results from the European pilot project, including an increase in homeless clients attending screening programmes. “This new initiative is focusing on liver disease, and this is so important as the Cancerless project identified a high prevalence of behaviours that put people at risk of cancer and multiple other chronic conditions.“Our pilot project, which directly addressed such behaviours, involved partnerships with The Purfleet Trust in King’s Lynn and Winter Comfort in Cambridge, and it is fantastic to see this being rolled out, led by this team of new Health Navigators.” The project is part of a national NHS England liver surveillance programme.NHS England – East of England – said many people who are homeless experience poor health and die from treatable conditions because they cannot access the care they need. According to homelessness charity Shelter, the average age at death was 45 for men and 43 for women – this is more than 30 years lower than the average age at death of the general population.The new team will aim to overcome these barriers by working with people to identify their health needs, connect with appropriate services and stay engaged with ongoing care. The programme will place a particular focus on raising awareness of symptoms which may be linked to cancer, especially the early detection of liver cancer, which claims the lives of more than 500 people every year in the East of England.Across the region, around 560 liver cancers are diagnosed in local hospitals each year, with 40% of these diagnosed through NHS emergency settings such as A&E departments. This compares to an overall emergency diagnosis rate of 18% for all cancers combined.Liver cancer rates have increased by more than two-fifths (42%) in the UK over the past decade, according to Cancer Research UK.Professor Peter Hoskin, consultant oncologist and clinical director at the East of England Cancer Alliance, said: “The fact that so many liver cancers are diagnosed in emergency departments shows that these are being diagnosed at a late stage, when they are harder to treat, and this leads to worse outcomes. “This new initiative, involving Health Navigators who are known and trusted by people facing homelessness in our region, is an important and effective way to address an urgent problem.”The initiative comes as latest figures estimate that one in 160 people in England are now homeless.Health Navigators will meet people in locations convenient for them, discuss health concerns, perform basic health checks and work with them to identify their healthcare needs. Whether helping to book and attend appointments, supporting self-referrals or encouraging self-care, they will help people get the care they need.The navigators will accompany people to appointments when needed and help communicate essential health information in discussions with healthcare providers to ensure no vital details are missed. Working closely with both community and hospital healthcare teams, Health Navigators will help identify people experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness, and help them attend appointments – whether in person or online – and stay engaged with their treatment plans.In collaboration with healthcare professionals, the navigators will organise workshops aimed at promoting health awareness and wellbeing. These sessions will focus on raising awareness of key health issues, such as early cancer symptoms, empowering people to take control of their health and seek help when needed.Following on from his role as UK lead in the European Cancerless project, Prof Smith will evaluate the impact of the region’s new Health Navigators.