§ Mr. BowisTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how the new general practitioners contract will affect provisions for homeless people.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyHomeless people have exactly the same rights as others to health services. The improved 199W services arising from the GPs' new contract are therefore available to them. The problem is reaching the homeless in the first place and encouraging them to come forward for the services which they need. The new fee payable to GPs who register patients and do a health check should help encourage GPs to register homeless people. Under the reforms in the White Paper, "Promoting Better Health", family practitioner committees are required to assess the health needs of all sectors of their local populations and actively to develop services to meet those needs. In areas where there are homeless people, family practitioner committees and district health authorities need to take account of the special needs of these groups in planning local services. Pilot projects have been funded in City and east London and Camden and Islington FPC areas to assess the needs of the homeless people and to work out the best way of delivering primary care to them. A summary of a Policy Studies Institute report on the projects has been circulated to all FPCs (and to other health and local authorities) so that as similar schemes are considered the lessons learned are shared.