CTMUHB's Wound Service team transforming wound care for people experiencing homelessness in CTMUHB
People experiencing homelessness (PEH) face some of the toughest barriers to healthcare—especially wound care. From transportation challenges to fragmented services and psychosocial hurdles, traditional clinic models often leave this vulnerable group behind.
CTM UHB’s Wound Service team saw the consequences firsthand: nearly 90 missed appointments in a single year, wasting 45 hours of clinical time and leaving wounds untreated.
In October 2024, the Wound Service team launched a ground-breaking pilot in partnership with The Wallich Charity and CTM’s Homelessness Nursing Team. This pilot was inspired by the Welsh Government’s action plan to end homelessness and was supported by CTM’s Infection Control and Health & Safety teams.
The treatment bus ‘Dilys’ is a tailor-made mobile clinic provided by The Wallich. It is staffed by a Multidisciplinary Team (MDT)—including wound care nurses, homelessness nurses, and Wallich outreach workers. The bus is driven into Bridgend town centre every Wednesday afternoon.
Staff on the buss offer people experiencing homelessness a safe, welcoming space to receive wound care, general advice and support around health conditions, support with housing, mental health support and referrals to other services.
In the two months leading up to the pilot scheme’s launch in 2024, PEH in Bridgend missed 21 appointments within traditional wound clinic settings—equating to 10.5 hours of lost clinic time. Three months after launch, there were just three missed appointments from PEH, an 85.7% reduction.
The introduction of this pilot has resulted in fewer missed appointments, fewer unnecessary A&E visits, and better healing outcomes—including treatment of trauma injuries and superficial stab wounds right at the point of need.
The multidisciplinary team model of the project enables the Wound Service staff and our partners to tackle the social determinants of health head-on—offering support for housing, substance misuse, and building trust through consistent, compassionate care.
In June 2025, the Wound Service team’s pilot scheme and work was recognised and honoured with a Legs Matter! award in the Changemaker Together for Change category for working together “to create positive change in the treatment of leg and foot conditions” These UK-wide accolades celebrate innovation and collaboration in lower limb care.
In July 2025, Wounds UK published an article about the pilot, written by CTM’s Rebecca Morgan, (Team Lead, Wound Clinic Service). Click here to read: Delivering wound care in challenging environments: A mobile health approach for people experiencing homelessness – Wounds UK
Rebecca Morgan (Team Lead, Wound Clinic Service) said: “Since launching this pilot project, we have seen the incredibly positive impact that the mobile wound unit has had. By using the bus to reach people experiencing homelessness in the Bridgend area, we have been able to improve healthcare provision, whilst simultaneously seeing a dramatic reduction in the number of missed appointments.
This project has been fantastic, and its success is a testament to the dedication, creativity, and compassion of everyone involved. The impact is undeniable. We have not only been able to reach and better support a vulnerable patient group, but we are also but helping CTM UHB to make significant cost savings. Going forward, plans are underway to roll out this pilot model across other areas of CTMUHB, deepening collaboration with service groups and continuing to rewrite the narrative for PEH. I’d like to give a huge thank you to everyone in the team, The Wallich and Tracy Evans (Clinical Nurse Specialist, HVA) We’re looking forward to the next stage of this journey, and expanding this project to better support even more patients.”
Tracy Evans (Clinical Nurse Specialist, HVA) said: “We have built up trust, a safe place for people experiencing homelessness to come to. The focus has been about using the bus to bring our services to our patient group, which is working very well. I believe our vision for the future is a one stop bus for our patient group, and I can’t wait to the project develop.”
09/12/25