Our London homeless health programme has published a new resource pack which aims to signpost NHS staff and commissioners to a range of resources that can support their work with people who are homeless.

Many local, regional and national services work to support people who are homeless, including support with finding emergency housing and protecting anyone at risk of abuse, harm or neglect.

NHS staff can support patients who are homeless by signposting them to these services or putting patients in touch with these services through a direct referral.

This resource pack aims to bring together information on homelessness services in one place to make it easier for frontline NHS staff and others to find the right support for people who are homeless.

It has been produced following feedback from NHS staff who said they would welcome having information on homelessness services in one place as it was often difficult to know where to find the right services for patients or which services to signpost them too.

The pack includes sections on what to do when discharging a patient who is homeless from hospital, where to find help with emergency housing and where to find help for anyone who you believe is unsafe or at risk of abuse, harm or neglect.

It includes details of where to get help if you believe a patient is sleeping rough, how to find details of homelessness services and help in your area, as well as information about services that can support people whose immigration status means they have no recourse to public funds.

The pack also includes information for commissioners as well as details on the health needs of people who are homeless and their rights to health services.

Download the homelessness and health resource pack

We welcome feedback on the content of this resource pack and will update it from time to time.  If you have any comments please email lhhp@nhs.net

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