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<p>The Department recognises the importance of reducing barriers to services for those
experiencing rough sleeping. This is why we supported the development of the National
Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) guidance, which provides recommendations
on ways to improve access to, and engagement with, health and social care services
for people experiencing homelessness. This guidance is available at the following
link:</p><p><a href="https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng214" target="_blank">https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng214</a></p><p>NHS
England has delivered the Inclusion Health Framework, which includes focus on the
homeless population. Inclusion health is an umbrella term which includes homeless
people, and is used to describe people who are socially excluded, and who typically
experience multiple interacting risk factors for poor health such as stigma, discrimination,
poverty, violence, and complex trauma. The framework supports regions and systems
to review, plan, and improve health services for people in inclusion health groups,
and is available at the following link:</p><p><a href="https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/NG214"
target="_blank">https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/NG214</a></p><p>NHS England is also
delivering the Innovation for Healthcare Inequalities programme which has provided
learning around effective new ways of improving equitable access to the latest health
technologies and medicines, as well as being a springboard for further work at a system
level in tackling healthcare inequalities. Further information is available at the
following link:</p><p><a href="https://www.england.nhs.uk/aac/what-we-do/innovation-for-healthcare-inequalities-programme/"
target="_blank">https://www.england.nhs.uk/aac/what-we-do/innovation-for-healthcare-inequalities-programme/</a></p><p>We
know that patients are struggling to access general practice (GP), especially those
belonging to health inclusion groups. We are committed to fixing the front door to
the National Health Service and ensuring that patients receive the care they deserve.
The Government will bring back the family doctor, incentivising continuity of care
so patients can see the same doctor at each appointment, which is key in improving
complex and ongoing conditions. We will also introduce Neighborhood Health Centres
to bring together vital health and care services, ensuring healthcare is closer to
home.</p><p>The Introduction to inclusion health e-learning course is available to
help NHS staff understand what inclusion health is, the factors that cause exclusion,
and the practical actions that GPs can take to improve care for these patients. Further
information is available at the following link:</p><p><a href="https://elearning.rcgp.org.uk/course/view.php?id=459"
target="_blank">https://elearning.rcgp.org.uk/course/view.php?id=459</a></p><p>In
relation to dentists, patients in England are not registered with an NHS dental practice,
although many NHS dental practices do tend to see patients regularly. There is no
geographical restriction on which practice a patient may attend, allowing patients
the choice of where they would like to receive a course of treatment. Community Dental
Services are available across the country and provide specialised dental services
to people who are unable to access dental treatment by a high street NHS dentist due
to additional needs.</p><p>83 local authorities with the highest levels of need have
received funding since 2021 for the Rough Sleeping Drug and Alcohol Treatment Grant
to provide targeted support and treatment to people who sleep rough, or are at risk
of sleeping rough, with substance dependency. Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole
are receiving £1 million for these services in 2024/25, and Bournemouth is receiving
an additional £1.3 million from the Department in 2024/25 for the Housing Support
Grant. This is funding a team to provide targeted housing support to people in treatment
for substance dependence, and is showing promising results around reducing evictions,
which we hope will have an equally positive impact on people’s treatment outcomes.</p>
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