The third edition of The Faculty for Homeless and Inclusion Health Standards for Commissioners and Service Providers has been launched at a meeting of health leaders in central London.
The document sets out the health challenges experienced by marginalised groups such as people who are homeless, people who well sex, people from gypsy and traveller communities, and vulnerable migrants. It calls for the incorporation of values such as compassion and continuity of care to support integrated collaborative systems that improve patient outcomes.
The document has been endorsed by 14 medical Royal Colleges and health bodies, including the RCP, RCGP and RCPsych.
This unprecedented level of support demonstrates positive action towards the commitment made by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (A0MRC). In 2017 the AoMRC made a joint statement with The Faculty for Homeless and Inclusion Health pledging that medical Royal Colleges would support patients to improve their health, not only through medical treatment, but by providing advocacy, inter-professional working and engagement with public health.
Professor Dame Jane Dacre, past President of the Royal College of Physicians, said:
“Addressing the social determinants of health is an essential component of effective health care. New ‘duties to refer’ imposed by the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 present a real opportunity for secondary care to contribute to integrated care, these standards explain clearly how to do this well.”
The launched, attended by 70 delegates included presentations and discussion from Professor Dame Jane Dacre, Dr Nigel Hewett OBE, Jon Sparkes CEO of Crisis, and Mo Elmi, an ‘Expert by Experience’ who uses his experiences of homelessness and health issues to train medical professionals.