Health and Homelessness - New guidance welcomed

Scottish Council for Single Homeless (SCSH) has welcomed the launch of new health and homelessness guidance by the Scottish Executive. The guidance is designed to help ensure the health needs of homeless people are met.

SCSH has long argued that the requirements of homeless people are not being met by health services and believes tackling health issues is a vital part of a joined-up approach to tackling homelessness.

SCSH Director, Robert Aldridge , comments:

"We know homeless people get a poor deal generally, and many do not have their health needs met. We welcome the new guidance which we hope will result in homeless people getting access to the health services that the rest of u s take for granted

We are particularly pleased that the guidance encourages close co-operation between health boards and councils. This should result in the problems that homeless people face being addressed as a whole rather than in a piecemeal fashion"