Fourteen towns with high rates of homelessness are set to benefit from new NHS mental health care teams, NHS England today announced.
A total of 14 new outreach teams are starting work to increase the total across the country to 37, exceeding the NHS Long Term Plan target of 20 by 2023/24.
The new teams, which will be backed by £3.2m, will bring together doctors, nurses and other clinicians to co-ordinate treatment and support with local authorities and other local organisations.
Professor Tim Kendall, NHS England clinical national director for mental health, said: ‘NHS teams working with local authorities will seek out rough sleepers who have often been through incredibly traumatic experiences to ensure they get the help they need – and do not fall through the cracks.
‘While the NHS cannot solve homelessness on its own, we are trying to reach out to homeless people and working hard to ensure that those who need mental health support get it. To do that, we are making it as easy as possible to access services, designed and built around patients’ needs.’
The new teams will cover:
• Brent
• Westminster and Camden
• Somerset
• Devon
• Slough, Windsor and Maidenhead
• Surrey Heartlands
• Peterborough
• Great Yarmouth
• Hereford and Worcestershire
• Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin
• East Riding
• Sheffield and Doncaster
• Greater Manchester
