I'm a GP who spends Christmas providing healthcare to the homeless

Seven years ago, I had intention of fulfilling a long established ambition to work in a soup kitchen over Christmas.

After my first shift, the work has proven an integral part of my year; 2021 will be no exception, as I’ll be spending some of the Christmas period treating people who are homeless. One of the first memories that has remained with me was at the end of my first shift a patient that we had treated came back to see us and gave us all chocolate bars to say thank you.

Every year Crisis provides accommodation, food, support and medical care to people who would otherwise be sleeping on the streets over the festive period. It started 50 years ago in an empty London church and sadly, is still as much needed as ever. At Crisis, we work as one big team, all with the one universal goal of providing care for our patients, without the impediment of internal politics, targets, budgets, hierarchy and ego. How amazing is that?!

Crisis affords me the time and space to spend with my patients and I always feel a great sense of privilege that some of the people I have worked with have been prepared on occasion to share some of the most traumatic experiences of their lives with me.

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