London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jul 25, 2025

How to help if you see a sick homeless person

Mark Mummery, a homeless man living in Grimsby, died last week. According to reports, his body lay on the street for three hours before anyone noticed.

"Nobody seemed to be taking any notice of him at all, even though there was clearly something wrong. He was just lying there lifeless," a local resident told Grimsby Live.

Homelessness is on the rise in England - 280,000 people are homeless, mainly consisting of people who are homeless and living in temporary accommodation. This figure is up 23,000 since 2016, according to the charity Shelter.

Last year, at least 726 homeless people died in England and Wales.

So what should you do if you see a rough sleeper who appears unwell?

Two in three British people want to help when they see a homeless person, but aren't always sure how to, research by charity Crisis shows.

"British people care about homelessness and they want to help but uncertainty and nervousness are stopping them," says Jon Sparkes, Chief Executive of Crisis.

If you see a homeless person, Crisis advises:

Call 999 if you have immediate concerns about their welfare
Ask if there is anything they need such as a hot drink or food, warm clothing and blankets
Say hello or stop for a chat
"Many people we work with tell us that not being acknowledged or treated as a fellow human being can be just as painful as the physical hardships," adds Mr Sparkes.


'Difficult or scary prospect'


Andrew Mcleay, a support worker at Ealing soup kitchen in London, says striking up a conversation with a homeless person can be a "difficult or scary" prospect.

But he believes that "taking that risk - for the most part - is better than walking by."

If you see a homeless person who is ill, approach them and ask what you can do to help, Mr Mcleay advises.

"Don't worry about saying the wrong thing. More often than not they are just grateful someone spoke to them, because that could be their only conversation that day."

If you're urgently concerned for someone's welfare, call 999 immediately.

"No one should be left on the streets for hours - that is a horrible thought, and quite a sad and lonely end to a story. Think - maybe that person has a family. Wouldn't you want your family to know?", says Mr Mcleay.


'We got him the help he needed'


His teams on patrol frequently seek medical attention for homeless people, and they have driven people with broken bones and other injuries to A&E.

"One older gentleman we encountered on the street just looked horrendous," Mr Mcleay recalls.

"He was quite weak and I asked him what had happened. He said he hadn't eaten so we gave him some food, but he looked terrible so I asked if I could phone the ambulance, and he agreed.

"The ambulance look him away, and at least we felt he was going to get the help he needed."


Contacting professionals


If you want to find professional help for a homeless person, you can contact government-funded StreetLink, which alerts local authorities in England and Wales about rough sleepers.

StreetLink will contact professionals who will try to find the rough sleepers and help them access shelter and food.

You can call StreetLink or use their website or app to enter details of the location, time and date you saw the person, and any other information you have.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
×