New health clinic built into an eco-tricycle to treat homeless patients

A fold out health clinic built into an eco-tricycle has just landed in London to nimbly treat the city’s most vulnerable homeless patients in a new bid to combine personalised care and environmental concern in the city.    

UCLH’s Find & Treat team screen tens of thousands of the most vulnerable, homeless and high-risk people each year - testing for and treating serious illness - preventing onward infection and improving public health. 

Now the team’s agile new prototype Eco-Tricycle will allow access to parks, hostels, soup kitchens, be able to arrive under bridges or other street outreach locations to screen for blood borne viruses, STIs, TB, HIV, vaccination and much more.   

London’s population health is closely linked to its environmental conditions, high levels of pollution and poor air quality hospitalises approximately four Londoners daily¹ and contributes to around 109 early deaths a year in Camden² alone.    

The trike arrives as UCLH launches, Critical Care for our Climate - UCLH’s Net Zero Strategy, an ambitious plan aiming to beat national targets for carbon reduction by years. UCLH has been blazing a trail on progress toward net zero, including:  

• 488 new solar panels to this winter to generate energy and reduce costs.  
• Investing over £2 million in low energy LED lights. These use a quarter of the energy of previous lights, last longer and will be far cheaper over time.  
• Delivered more virtual appointments than any hospital, reduce waits and unnecessary patient travel.  Last year we delivered about 500,000 outpatient appointments virtually, saving over 15 million miles in patient travel each year.  
• Anaesthetic gases contribute about 1% of the NHS’ total carbon footprint, so reducing their use has been a priority. UCLH has already reduced the use of the most environmentally harmful anaesthetic gases by over 70% by choosing greener alternatives. UCLH plans to discontinue desflurane gas use entirely in 2023.  

 Prof Al Story is the founder and clinical lead of Find and Treat, 

“Air pollution harms the health of all Londoners’ and especially the poorest and most vulnerable. For the people we serve who are forced to live on the street, clean air isn’t an option. Find & Treat have taken healthcare to streets for 20 years. Our job is to prevent serious infections and onward transmission. This new green low carbon e-bike fits perfectly with our mission to help the most vulnerable, protect the air we share and promote better health for all.” 

Designed with an aerospace electrician it features remote temperature control allowing safe storage for vaccines or other cold chain items and a solar panel provides an independent, climate friendly charging option.  

The prototype will be monitored and learning from this project will contribute to future rollout for other teams and clinics at reduced carbon cost and financial cost.  

The bespoke tricycle was built in Berlin and shipped to London for assembly. It is based from UCLH on Euston Road and is being delivered with support from Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust. 

The Evening Standard joined the trike for it's first outing. Their story and video can be seen here: www.standard.co.uk/news/health/doctors-treat-homeless-london-fold-out-clinic-bike-b1063774.html

Last year the Guardian joined the team for a range of screening trips. You can read that story here: www.theguardian.com/society/2022/jul/26/without-find-and-treat-i-wouldnt-be-here-the-nhs-service-caring-for-londons-vulnerable

Notes 

1. Imperial College London (2019). Thousands of Londoners hospitalised in three years due to harmful pollution. Available at: www.imperial.ac.uk/ news/190815/thousands-londoners-hospitalised-three-years-harmful/

2. Camden Council (2022). Air Quality. Available at: www.camden.gov.uk/air-quality 

3. Technical  - An electric bike clinic combines benefits of flexibility, eco-friendly, carbon neutral, customized medical equipment with the advantage of wider range, access to parks, riverbanks and avoidance of parking restrictions.   Providing a clinic outreach option with full infection control, medicine safety and information governance solutions on a remote platform.  GPS and tracking applications adding further safety and possible supervision, but also linkage to emergency services if required.  It also offers the opportunity to evaluate NHS digital platforms and remote clinical solutions, including electronic patient records keeping, laboratory solutions and imaging options.  

4. Background  - Last year Find & Treat upped their green credentials using converting their main truck to electric, delivering nuclear medicine from the side of the road. The main Mobile Health Clinic has been extensively refurbished and fitted with a new digital portable x-ray camera and modern technologies to speed patient diagnoses and treatment of infectious diseases that will be powered on green energy via a hybrid battery powered solution with split charging capabilities. Switching from a large diesel generator to electric power will result in a carbon footprint reduction of at least 25,000 tons per year at the same time as improving air quality in central London and providing a cleaner, safer user experience and enhance wellbeing for staff working to reduce health inequalities . Read more: www.uclh.nhs.uk/news/green-energy-new-tech-improve-health-homeless-patients