Databank. New initiative for homeless

Citation

(1999), "Databank. New initiative for homeless", Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 99 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/nfs.1999.01799aaf.004

Databank. New initiative for homeless

Databank

New initiative for homeless

Measures to tackle endemic drugs, drink and mental health problems among homeless people are to be tackled by a new body. More than one in three of the people who end up sleeping out on the streets suffer serious drug, drink or mental health problems. A new report from the Social Exclusion Unit opens the way for one body to bring effective co-ordination and direction to services for rough sleepers in London. Outside London, the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions and the Department of Health will co-ordinate help for rough sleepers. A new research project is looking at the problem of giving homeless people equal access to primary health care, for example, by ensuring they are able to register with a GP. The report says that health outcomes for rough sleepers are very poor with the mortality rate 25 times higher than the national average for people aged between 45 and 64 years. Death from unnatural causes is four times more common and suicide 35 times more likely than in the general population. The Department of Health is providing £3.2 million annually for the care of mentally ill people in central London. A total of £689,000 has been committed through the Drug and Alcohol Specific Grant to projects in England for rough sleepers with drug and alcohol problems.