HOMELESSNESS was a factor in more than 100 emergency hospital admissions at Southern Health over five years, new figures show.

Charities have urged the government to do more to improve health services for vulnerable people nationally and focus on providing stable homes for those sleeping rough.

NHS Digital data reveals roughly 135 emergency visits to Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust had a diagnosis of homelessness in the five years to March.

The trust figures, which are rounded to the nearest five, cover patients where the primary or secondary cause of admission was homelessness.

Speaking on the issue, Southampton Itchen MP Royston Smith said: "Homelessness and rough sleeping is a very troubling issue. There is lots being done to support and help people get back on track and into safe long term accommodation.

Daily Echo: MP Royston SmithMP Royston Smith

"Throughout the pandemic, the Government has supported people who are homeless through the Everyone In initiative and the Protect Programme which was successful.

"I am pleased that a further £639 million will be spent each year by 2024-25 which will help to reduce homelessness and rough sleeping and hopefully will help many people across our city.

Across England, emergency admissions linked to homelessness rose significantly in the four years before the coronavirus pandemic, from 11,300 in 2016-17 to 16,700 in 2019-20.

However, this number fell back to 12,000 in 2020-21 amid efforts to get people off the streets and into emergency accommodation through the Everyone In initiative.

Matt Downie, director of policy and external affairs at homelessness charity Crisis, said the drop in admissions last year “is one of the success stories of the pandemic”.

He added: “We have an opportunity now to continue and build on this progress.

“A room in a B&B or hotel is not a home, and we need continued cross-government action to tackle the housing crisis if we want to ensure these figures do not revert back to the escalating numbers we were seeing prior to the pandemic.”

Abuse of alcohol and drugs, as well as mental health problems, are among the most common reasons for hospital admissions among homeless people nationally, the figures show.

Homeless Link said many vulnerable people have had such negative experiences when accessing health care that they put off seeking help until crisis point.