Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the guidance on Discharging people at risk of or experiencing homelessness, published in collaboration with the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government in January 2024.

The Department is committed to promoting safe and timely discharge for people experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness to appropriate accommodation. Every acute hospital has access to a care transfer hub to manage discharge for people with more complex needs, who need extra support.

Guidance and supporting materials were published for health and care staff on discharging people at risk of or experiencing homelessness, and are a vital resource for front-line staff, offering the best practice advice informed by expertise to help reduce instances of individuals being discharged to the street. This ensures every health and care interaction with a homeless person acts as an opportunity to provide support and signposting, with the aim of ending rough sleeping. We will periodically review the guidance to ensure it provides appropriate and effective advice for health and care staff. Further information on the guidance and supporting materials is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/discharging-people-at-risk-of-or-experiencing-homelessness/discharging-people-at-risk-of-or-experiencing-homelessness