It's all about health

Day one of a conference on Homelessness, Health and Inclusion.

So far it has been inspiring, fascinating and ultimately sobering. Rough sleepers are nine times more likely to commit suicide than the general population, six times more likley to have a mental health condition and most stark of all, they have a life expectancy of 42 which is half the UK average and worse than some developing countires.

We have heard from medical doctors working in Boston and Pittsburgh in the US who take their practice out onto the streets to treat homeless people and the dedicated GP here in London who fought to bring a mobile x-ray unit out to homeless day centres and hostels, diagnosing TB and a multitude of other treatable health conditions that shorten life.

The doctors from the States frequently made mention of how blessed we are in the UK to have the NHS - indeed we are, but with so many organisations working in silos, and not operating in a joined up way to help some of our most vulnerable citizens I hope this conference is a call to arms to get us all working together for a common cause.