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St Mungo’s applauds new health commissioning guidance as ‘tremendous step forward’ for homeless people
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St Mungo's has welcomed the launch today of a Government study which aims to help Primary Care Trusts become world class commissioners of healthcare services for homeless, vulnerable and socially excluded people.
St Mungo's Chief Executive Charles Fraser (pictured) spoke at the launch of 'Inclusion Health: Improving the way we meet the primary health care needs of the socially excluded'.
Third Sector Minister Angela Smith and David Colin-Thomé, Director of Primary Care at the Department of Health, formally launched the joint project between the Social Exclusion Task Force and the Department of Health, which was published with an accompanying evidence pack.
Minister Angela Smith said: "Everyone should have access to the highest standard of care, no matter what their circumstances or background. Inclusion Health will lead the way in improving health services to help those most vulnerable and will build on the great work that is already happening up and down the country."
The evidence pack features St Mungo's in a number of areas, and highlights our health strategy for homeless people.
The pack also references St Mungo's innovative health services such as the pilot Intermediate Care project at Cedars Road hostel in Lambeth, South London, and the pilot psychotherapy service, Lifeworks, funded through the Cabinet Office's Social Exclusion Task Force ACE programme.
Charles Fraser was one of three people asked to give their response to the study, alongside Professor Steve Field, Chairman of the Royal College of General Practitioners, and Rosemary Cook CBE, Director of the Queen's Nursing Institute.
He said: "We welcome this as a tremendous step forward towards improving access to primary healthcare services for the homeless and vulnerable people we work with. The Cabinet Office, the Department of Health and many other committed professionals are to be applauded for building a coalition for change when it comes to commissioning.
"Inclusion Health' offers a way forward which is more promising than anything we have seen at St Mungo's in the last 30 years. It is now up to all of us - the Department of Health, GPs, nurses and the voluntary sector - to keep the pressure on so that we achieve lasting change."
