Rough sleepers set to benefit from NHS mental health support

Rough sleepers in towns with high rates of homelessness are to benefit from specialist NHS mental health care across the country.  

A total of 14 new outreach teams are starting work to increase the total across the country of 37, exceeding the NHS Long Term Plan target of 20 by 2023/24. 

Around 100 people a week are already receiving support from specialist mental health practitioners and other experts including advice and treatment to tackle underlying mental ill health.

This includes Michael, 48, who was helped by the team in Hull and said he ‘used to dread waking up in the morning and now I can’t wait to get up’.

According to government figures, there are an estimated 3,069 people sleeping rough on any given night in England. Following this, people sleeping rough with psychosis disorder are 15% more likely to develop severe mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety and panic disorder.

Research also shows people are 50% more likely to have spent over a year sleeping rough if they are also experiencing mental health problems.

The new NHS-led teams will bring together doctors, nurses and other clinicians to co-ordinate treatment and support – joining up care with existing outreach, accommodation, drug and alcohol and physical healthcare services.

In each area, outreach teams – comprising NHS and local authority staff – will identify rough sleepers in need of help, support them to access a GP and then on to the new expert mental health support and care.

Professor Tim Kendall, NHS England clinical National Director for Mental Health, yesterday said: ‘As part of a drive to tackle health inequalities, the NHS is opening more than a dozen mental health clinics so that homeless people can access specialist support in a convenient location. 

‘NHS teams working with local authorities will seek out rough sleepers who have often been through incredibly traumatic experiences to ensure they get the help they need – and do not fall through the cracks.

‘While the NHS cannot solve homelessness on its own, we are trying to reach out to homeless people and working hard to ensure that those who need mental health support get it. To do that, we are making it as easy as possible to access services, designed and built around patients’ needs.’

This new funding is worth £3.2million and will be used over the next year to build and scale up comprehensive services across:

• Brent
• Westminster and Camden
• Somerset
• Devon
• Slough, Windsor and Maidenhead
• Surrey Heartlands
• Peterborough
• Great Yarmouth
• Hereford and Worcestershire
• Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin
• East Riding
• Sheffield and Doncaster
• Greater Manchester

Image: Levi Meir Clancy