Recommendation 21

HM Government Acknowledged

The Asylum Accommodation and Support contracts are clear as to how accommodation providers ensure service users are facilitated and signposted to health services appropriate to individual needs. The contractual requirements include providing facilities within initial accommodation for the relevant health authority to deliver health screening services; signposting the health screening and related services provided by the local health authority to service users; and liaising with the local health authority to increase service user participation in health screenings. Additionally, accommodation providers are contractually responsible for establishing regular engagement between the persons responsible for the management of the Initial Accommodation and the local health authority, to support effective service delivery and the identification and delivery of service improvements. Accommodation providers are required, where appropriate, to secure GP registrations for vulnerable service users, and provide ‘vulnerable’ or high-risk groups assistance in registering with a GP. While historically the short length of stay in Initial Accommodation has meant that GPs are reluctant to register such individuals, NHS England has issued clear guidance that any lack of identification or proof of address is not grounds for refusing NHS primary care services, including GP, dental and eye care services. In these circumstances, individuals can use the primary care service’s address or an address of a hostel, where appropriate. 8 Home Office preparedness for COVID-19 (coronavirus): institutional accommodation: Where this guidance is not being followed, the Department for Health has made clear that cases should be brought to NHS England’s attention, as the commissioner should be able to reinforce the guidance locally. While the Home Office does not directly commission health services, throughout the recent pandemic, we have been in regular dialogue with health colleagues on health provision for hotel contingency. As a result of this close working, Public Health England have written to all Clinical Commissioning Groups in England, setting out what hotel accommodation would mean, providing guidance to CCGs on services to commission and reassurance around funding to do so.