Not Just Homeless: The Overlooked Health Needs of Women in Crisis

At Brighton Women’s Service (BWS), we see firsthand how health is shaped not just by biology, but by inequality, trauma, and exclusion. For the women we support—many of whom have experienced homelessness, abuse, and systemic neglect—accessing healthcare is not just difficult, it can feel impossible. This blog explores the deep-rooted barriers they face and the work we do to help them reclaim their right to health and dignity.

We support women facing some of the most acute health inequalities in our community. Many of the women we work with have experienced significant trauma, including domestic abuse, exploitation, trafficking, and early childhood adversity. These experiences often manifest in complex physical and mental health needs, which are frequently compounded by systemic barriers to accessing care. The vast majority of our residents live with multiple diagnoses, such as PTSD, depression, anxiety, and unmanaged physical conditions, yet many arrive with little to no current engagement with healthcare services.

Nationally, data from Homeless Link shows that 85% of homeless women report mental health conditions, and 78% experience physical health issues, figures that closely reflect what we see within BWS. Screening rates are also significantly lower for women experiencing homelessness, just 37% have had breast screening and 54% have had cervical screening, compared to 62% and 70% in the general population. These disparities are mirrored locally and are often exacerbated by fear, shame, past trauma in medical settings, and services that are not designed with women’s needs in mind.

Domestic abuse also creates significant barriers. Many women carry internalised beliefs shaped by years of coercion and violence that they are not worthy of care or protection. This can lead to a reluctance to seek medical support or advocate for their health needs, even when in crisis. In many cases, women are actively prevented from accessing healthcare by partners using coercive control. This enforced isolation and restriction of movement is often misinterpreted by services as non-engagement, rather than recognised as a safeguarding concern.

Neurodiversity presents an additional barrier. Many women at BWS are neurodivergent, and clinical environments like A&E can be overwhelming and over-stimulating; bright lights, noise, long waits, and unclear processes can lead to shutdowns or heightened distress. These environments often lack understanding of how trauma and neurodiversity interact, resulting in women being misunderstood, dismissed, or even removed before they’ve received support.

We work closely with outreach nursing teams, substance misuse services, and GPs to bridge these gaps, offering screenings and other medical interventions within the project. On-site trauma stabilisation, creative therapies, and trauma-informed keywork all play a part in helping women feel safe enough to re-engage with healthcare. For women who have spent years in survival mode, even attending a health appointment can feel overwhelming. Our work is about creating consistent, compassionate relationships that rebuild trust not just in services, but in themselves.

This deeply relational approach is critical because the consequences of these inequalities are stark. Life expectancy for women experiencing long-term homelessness can be as low as 43 years. At BWS, we are advocating for women to access the care they deserve and supporting them to take up space.

Every woman deserves access to compassionate, trauma-informed healthcare, no matter her past or present circumstances. At Brighton Women’s Service, we walk alongside women as they rebuild trust in themselves and in the systems meant to support them. But we can’t do it alone.

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