Health and housingPHE’s perspective

Gill LengHousing & health lead, PHE

FUSE QRM 20 October 2015

Our visionThe right home environment is essential to health

and wellbeing, throughout lifeA home in which to ‘start, live & age well’

Key features of home (permanent & temporary):• Warm & affordable to heat• Free from hazards, safe from harm • Enables movement around the home and is accessible• Promotes a sense of security and stability• Support available if needed

The challenge? Health impact• Poor housing affects 3.6m children, 9.2m working age adults, 2m

pensioners• 19% of adults in poor housing have poor mental health• 28% of young people in cold home have 4 or more negative mental health

symptoms, compared to 4% in warm homes

• Average council works with 1,470 people facing multiple needs p.a.• C. 40% have poor mental health• Average age of death of single homeless person 47 years

• NHS costs p.a.• At least £1.4bn poor housing: cold homes & falls related to the home• >£85.6m single homelessness – A & E attendance & admission• >£26m delayed transfer of care – lack of housing• £ as a result of mental health?

Cost to the NHS?

Sources: Nichol S, Roys M, Garret H (2015) The cost of poor housing to the NHS, BRE; and Garret H, Burriss S (2015) Homes and ageing briefing, BRE

• The cost of poor housing is estimated to at least £1.4bn p.a. (first year treatment costs only)

• New BRE calculation – over 55s • 2m households in poor

housing• 1.3m homes with Cat 1 hazard• £624m p.a. cost to NHS

– £442m excess cold, £131m falls

• Between 4 – 7% accessible

PHE’s role in local public health• Remit to

• Develop capability in the local public health system• Inform decision making, based on evidence

• Enable a shared understanding of• Relationship between home and health locally • The national framework & the local response• What these mean for policies & plans to improve health &

wellbeing – challenges and opportunities• The effectiveness of housing interventions, for whom and when• How working together professionals can plan & deliver for

better health

PHE commissioning support• Homeless health

needs audit & annual report – Homeless Link

• Health and homes resource – CIEH

• Home adaptations & integration – Care & Repair England

• Workshops & briefings to support commissioning eg, Homeless Link & NHS; Housing LIN

Analyse

PlanDo

Review

• Standards in evidence – HACT

• Rapid evidence review: homeless prevention – Homeless Link

• IBAs in housing settings – Middlesex University

• Healthy eating & social landlords – 5 landlords

• Workforce development – SITRA

• Inclusion health E-learning resources– Pathway

Analyse: Homes & health evidence resource

Website:

www.cieh-housing-and-health-resource.co.uk

Analyse: Homeless health needs audit

www.homeless.org.uk/our-work/resources/homeless-health-needs-audit/health-needs-audit-toolkit

Plan: Home adaptations & integration

www.careandrepair-england.org.uk

Do: Housing and health exchange http://www.housinglin.org.uk/Topics/browse/HealthandHousing/Health-Exchange/

Review: Standards on evidence• http://www.hact.org.uk/standards-evidence-housing

Going forward?• Intelligence: housing and health data

• Health statistics user group www.hsug.org.uk • Y & H LAs commissioned BRE - PHE KIS support• Devolution in GM

• Focus where we can make the most difference • Children and families: essential to improve life chances• Working age: connecting homes, health & a job• Ageing well: enabling care closer to a healthy home• Pressure points across life course eg, hospital• Harnessing partners in private & community sectors • Raise public awareness to inform decision making• Managing impact of policies on inequalities

Contact• Gill Leng• Housing & health lead• Tel: 07766 660799

• Email: gill.leng@phe.gov.uk

• Twitter @gill_leng