Doctors and dentists join forces to help the homeless in Mansfield
Doctors and dentists joined forces to help the homeless in Mansfield on Monday 26 th
November.
A host of volunteers visited the soup kitchen in Bridge Street on Monday evening in a move
to help those who don’t have access to health and dental services. People who were visiting
the soup kitchen were able to undergo health and dental checks and take advantage of
services like wound dressing and advice provided by sexual health experts and dieticians.
Information was also provided about free eye tests, which are available through Ashfield
Eyecare Services.
Nurse Suzanne Banks, from Sherwood Forest Hospitals, said that it can be very difficult for
homeless people to access routine dental and healthcare services, and many people find the
prospect of visiting a hospital or health clinic daunting. The idea of the clinic on Monday in
Mansfield was to bring services to homeless people and enable them to get the treatment
they need.
Dr Milind Tadpatrikar, from Roundwood Surgery, suggested that it was particularly important
to see as many homeless people as possible at this time of year with temperatures falling,
and illnesses such as flu becoming more prevalent. As well as volunteer clinics at facilities
like the soup kitchen, there is also a walk-in clinic at the Beacon Centre on Wood Street,
which is aimed at the homeless and operates once a week.
All those who received dental or medical care on the night were provided with a bag of
essentials, including a warm hat, gloves and toiletries, which were donated by Sherwood
Forest Hospitals.
Source: https://www.chad.co.uk/news/doctors-take-to-the-street-to-help-mansfield-s-
