New report finds that poor housing is driving pressure across health and social care services
Poor housing is driving avoidable pressure across health and social care services and damaging people’s health, according to a UK-wide set of reports led by the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT), developed with Foundations and supported by Closomat.
Analysis in the Building Health into Homes strategic report found that 3.5 million homes in England are classed as non-decent, affecting 7.5 million people. Approximately 87 per cent of homes are failing to meet basic accessibility criteria with poor housing costing the NHS in England £1.5 billion annually. Meanwhile, one in five wheelchair user households in Scotland has unmet housing needs
RCOT is calling for the governments of all four nations, local governments, and health, social care and housing systems to work together to address where people live. Health prevention and system reform can only be delivered once housing needs are met.
Housing is being addressed too late across the system. When people are discharged to homes that do not meet their needs, their health deteriorates and demand on services increases. This means people are not getting the right support at the right time. Poor housing is also driving health inequalities, with people in worse housing more likely to have poorer health.
The report sets out how housing must be recognised and used as a core part of health and care. It calls on system leaders to act earlier, integrate housing into prevention and care pathways and ensure people get the right support at the right time.
Without action, more people will experience avoidable harm and pressure on health and social care services will continue to grow. The report shows how occupational therapists are already reducing demand and improving outcomes across health and care systems.
When involved early, the report argues that occupational therapists play a critical role in connecting health, housing and social care. This expertise, it says, is not being used consistently across the system. Their expertise, the report found, can help prevent hospital admissions and re-admissions, reduce falls and deterioration and help support people to live safely and well at home.
Lauren Walker, Professional Practice Manager at the Royal College of Occupational Therapists and report author, said:”‘Everyone lives somewhere, but housing is too often treated as an afterthought in health and care, meaning people are reaching the point of crisis before they get support.
“Building Health into Homes sets out a different approach. It shows how the home can be used as a health intervention, not just something to react to later. We’ve developed practical resources for system leaders, services and occupational therapists to support earlier action and better joined-up working across health, housing and social care.
“We need a shift from reacting to need to preventing it. That means recognising the home as central to people’s health and acting earlier to reduce avoidable demand on services.”
