Health Innovation Manchester joined a discussion focused on homelessness and health with the Museum of Homelessness and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR).

Actions for Change explored homelessness, primary health care, patient safety and mental health through a range of interactive workshops, discussions and presentations.

Throughout 2018, the Museum of Homelessness (MoH) has been collaboratively developing a partnership with the NIHR Greater Manchester Patient Safety Translational Research Centre  (PSTRC) and and the Public Programmes Team at Manchester University NHS Trust to explore how a museum object – and its story – can affect positive change in health care settings and research.

The event is based on the work carried out for MoH’s latest project Objectified. Objectified is an interactive exhibition that has involved collecting objects and stories related to homelessness and health from GM Manchester. The museum has been collaborating with the social neuroscientist Dr. Lasana Harris to present his research on dehumanised perception to a wider audience.

Nicky Timmis, PPIE Manager at Health Innovation Manchester, joined a panel including Stephen Campbell, Director NIHR Greater Manchester PSTRC, and Warren Heppolette, Executive Lead, Strategy and System Development, Greater Manchester Health & Social Care Partnership, during the event.

The panel listened to the stories behind three objects — maternity notes, inhalers and weigh scales — and reflected on what they had heard.

During the panel, Nicky said: “One of the biggest barriers to care is the perceptions of homeless people. But we can’t design services without engaging with those who will benefit from them.

“Those who are homeless are not hard to reach, we need to go out and reach out to them.

“We also all need to think about what we as individuals and what we as organisations can do to make a difference.”