PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Health Services: Homelessness (28 January 2020)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect of homelessness on (a) access to health services and (b) the health of (i) children, (ii) disabled people and (iii) the elderly.

Asked by:
Sarah Owen (Labour)

This Government is clear that no one should be without a roof over their head. It is widely recognised that being homeless or sleeping rough can have a significant impact on the mental and physical health of individuals, including children, disabled people and the elderly.

The Rough Sleeping Strategy, published in August 2018, set out actions to address the needs of all people sleeping rough, including disabled people and elderly people. NHS England has committed to spending up to £30 million over five years on mental health services for people sleeping rough and we have promoted guidance on care for homeless people at the end of their lives. We are providing £2 million in funding to test ways to improve access to health services for people with co-occurring mental ill-health and substance misuse problems who are currently, or at risk of returning to, sleeping rough.

This Government has committed to eliminating rough sleeping in the term of this parliament.

Answered by:
Ms Nadine Dorries (Conservative)
3 February 2020