Health Minister unhappy with housing and health link

Ahead of a major report on care and housing today commissioned by thinktank Demos, Liberal Democrat Paul Burstow – the former care minister – said the omission of the role of housing in a strategic review of the NHS, led by Simon Stevens, was ‘a massive missed opportunity’.

The row was prompted by the NHS Forward View, published in October, which set out how the service needs to change within the next five years in order to meet new challenges, such as shifting demographics and declining investment.

In a blow to the housing sector, the role of housing was mentioned just once in Mr Stevens’ review, in the context of integrating other public services such a welfare and education.

Mr Burstow said: ‘That Simon Stevens’ NHS Forward View neglected the role of housing was a massive missed opportunity to keep people out of hospital and feeling in control of their lives…

‘There must be a non-partisan fundamental review of health and care spending including the vital contribution that housing can make.’

Mr Burstow will launch a ‘blueprint’ by the Commission on Residential Care in London today, which will call on the government to ‘lead a national conversation’ on housing with care.

Social landlords are increasingly keen to work with the NHS and establish joint projects with hospital trusts to save the health service money.

However, sector figures have complained that the health service is sometimes reluctant to work with housing associations and some have said this is because landlords fail to provide good evidence that they make savings for the NHS.

Paul Gamble, chief executive of Habinteg – a specialist housing association for disabled people – said while it was easy to provide evidence of how the housing sector delivers long-term savings, it was more difficult to show how social landlords can save hospital trusts’ money in the short-term.

‘What it is often difficult to do is, for example, provide cashable solutions for Derbyshire NHS trust this year,’ he said.

Jane Ashcroft, Anchor chief executive, who sits on the Commission on Residential Care, said: ‘The ability to cite strong evidence is crucial if housing is to have a strong voice in public policy debates.’

The association says one of its new schemes, offering 12 rooms for rehabilitation to elderly patients in Birmingham, has seen savings of up to £300,000 a year.

A spokesperson for NHS England did not reply to a request for comment.