<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><xml><records><record><source-app name="HighWire" version="7.x">Drupal-HighWire</source-app><ref-type name="Journal Article">17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Reilly, Johanna</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Hassanally, Khalil</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Budd, John</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Mercer, Stewart</style></author></authors><secondary-authors></secondary-authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Accident and emergency department attendance rates of people experiencing homelessness by GP registration: a retrospective analysis</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">BJGP Open</style></secondary-title></titles><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2020</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2020-12-01 00:00:00</style></date></pub-dates></dates><elocation-id><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">bjgpopen20X101089</style></elocation-id><doi><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">10.3399/bjgpopen20X101089</style></doi><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">4</style></volume><issue><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">5</style></issue><abstract><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Background People experiencing homelessness are known to have complex health needs and to be high users of hospital accident and emergency (A&amp;E) departments. It is unclear whether access to a day-time specialist homeless medical practice, as opposed to routine general practice, influences A&amp;E attendance rates.Aim This study investigated whether registration with a specialist homeless service would alter A&amp;E attendance rates in a single geographical region in Scotland.Design &amp; setting A health board area with a specialist service for people experiencing homelessness was selected. Data were obtained from the hospital records of 4408 A&amp;E attendances by people experiencing homelessness at NHS Lothian (based on a broad definition of homelessness and including those in temporary accommodation) between January 2015 and July 2017.Method The attendances were compared between people registered with a specialist service and those registered with a mainstream GP.Results The reasons for attendance and urgency of attendance were broadly similar between the two groups. Repeat attendance was similarly high in both groups. Almost 70% in both groups attended with problems deemed urgent, very urgent, or requiring immediate resuscitation. The patients registered with the specialist homeless service were more likely to be older and male; however, this did not affect the frequency of attendance.Conclusion People experiencing homelessness attending A&amp;E mainly do so for urgent or very urgent problems. This was not related to the type of day-time primary care service they had access to. Strategies to reduce attendances, such as out-of-hours mobile medical units, should be explored.</style></abstract></record></records></xml>