Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps (a) his Department plans to take with the NHS to respond to the findings of the Friends Families and Travellers’ report entitled No room at the inn: How easy is it for nomadic Gypsies and Travellers to access primary care and (b) the NHS plans to take to ensure homeless people can access healthcare at any GP practice they choose.

Registering with and access to primary medical care services is the same for all patients, whether they are gypsies, travellers, or homeless people. People do not need to provide proof of address to register with a general practice (GP). NHS England is working with a range of community groups to redesign the patient registration leaflet so that people are aware of this when registering. The free NHS 111 service can assist anyone who has faced difficulty finding a GP or accessing other services in their local area.

NHS England is aware of difficulties some individuals have faced when trying to register with a GP and is taking steps to address shortcomings with individual practices, working in partnership with the voluntary sector.

The Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise Health and Wellbeing Alliance is a partnership arrangement with the aim to facilitate integrated working between the voluntary and statutory sectors, to promote equality and reduce health inequalities. It receives £1.2 million for core work from the Department, with each member receiving funding of up to £60,000. Families and Travellers is a member of the Alliance and have supported the Department on a range of work to date including the Inclusion Health Audit Tool, on maternal health, mental health, end of life care and dementia.