The Street Clinic

10 Young Lives on the Frontline of Gang Culture
In ten powerful stories of young people’s lives, award-winning mental health nurse Dorcas Gwata reveals the traumatic aftermath of London's youth violence crisis.

A Radio 4 Book of the Week

'Fascinating . While the rest of us are worrying about it, Dorcas Gwata is doing something about it' - HHJ Wendy Joseph, author of Unlawful Killings

'The appetite for medical memoirs has never been greater . a welcome and important addition' - The Independent, Books to Look Out for in 2026

Through the lives of ten young people an award-winning nurse reveals the impact of gang culture on mental health.

Dorcas Gwata is an award-winning nurse specialising in mental health. She has worked closely with vulnerable young people exposed to the knife crime, sexual exploitation, drug use and poor mental health associated with gangs. In The Street Clinic, we accompany her in her work as she meets and cares for young people on the street and on their terms.

We meet Fuz, who is on trial for aggravated assault. There's Abdul, who’s exploring his sexuality and has been humiliated online. Louise's promising future is compromised by her controlling boyfriend. And there’s Zane, whose parents’ divorce opens up an emotional hole in his life that’s plugged by an ill-chosen new friendship.

Drawing on her own experiences of loss and social injustice, and twenty-five years on the NHS frontline, Dorcas offers a bird’s-eye view of London: its multicultural population, wealth inequalities, tireless healthcare professionals, and an NHS that doesn’t always work for everyone. And she asks the big questions: What lies behind London’s youth violence crisis? What is its impact on the mental health of its victims? How are the families of our young people and the wider community affected?

Exposing some uncomfortable truths about British society, The Street Clinic is also a powerful story of resilience, strength and, ultimately, hope.

_{With photographs by Chanel Pinnock}

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