Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure rough sleepers are not discharged from hospital back onto the streets.

The Department is committed to promoting safe and timely discharge for people experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness, to appropriate accommodation. During 2020/21 and 2021/22, the Department, through the Shared Outcomes Fund, provided a total of £15.85 million to 17 sites to pilot Out of Hospital Care Models supporting people at risk of homelessness.

These models provide interim accommodation and care and support while full assessments of individual needs are carried out. Feedback from sites suggests these models are important in supporting discharge and maintain flow.

Whilst full evaluation is still underway, there are positive preliminary findings, including savings to the National Health Service and other public services due to the programme. A final evaluation of the programme will be delivered in December 2023 and from this we will share learning to encourage local areas to adopt similar models.

In addition, we will continue to work to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the Duty to Refer people believed to be homeless or at risk of homelessness, from NHS services to local authorities with their consent.

Improving how discharges are arranged for people experiencing, or at risk of homelessness, will also be supported by our wider work to improve discharge processes. This includes ensuring effective care transfer hubs are in place for every system ahead of winter to coordinate and support timely discharge to the right setting for people with more complex needs.