§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate the number of unsettled homeless people who are not registered with general practitioners and the cities in which they are concentrated; what information he has of any difficulties they face in getting health treatment and the nature of these difficulties; and if he has any proposals, including greater use of nurse practitioners, to improve their access to National Health Service provision.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeInformation about the numbers of unsettled homeless people who are not registered with general practitioners is not available.
The Government sponsored report "Single and Homeless" (HMSO 1981) provides an indication of the nature of problems encountered by homeless people in gaining access to primary health care. I announced in June 1984 that the Government were allocating a further £2 million over the next two years to help primary health care in the inner cities, £1.2 million in 1984 and £0.9 million this year. This is part of the £9 million announced in 1983 following the publication of the Acheson report to improve inner cities health services.
As I explained in my other reply to the right hon. Member today, nurse practitioner is not recognised as a definition of a professional group in the National Health Service. The care of such patients is for general medical practitioners as part of their services to the wider public.