FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – 11 June 2025
Please call Dee O’Connell on 07989 396 320 or dee.oconnell@pathway.org.uk with media enquiries.
Homeless health charity highlights lack of commitment on health inequalities in the Government’s Spending Review
Pathway, the UK’s leading homeless and inclusion health charity, today responded to the Government’s Spending Review announcements, urging a renewed focus on the health and social care needs of people experiencing homelessness and deep social exclusion.
While acknowledging significant investments in the NHS and the wider fiscal context, Pathway highlights the critical importance of ensuring these broader allocations translate into tangible improvements for the most vulnerable members of society.
The charity’s statement said “The Government’s investment in social housing, a bedrock of good health, is welcome. It is notable, however, that the Government has not yet taken this opportunity to make firm commitments in the Spending Review to directly address extreme health inequalities. We are all too aware of wider fiscal context, and the urgent need to put care for all on a firmer footing. At the same time, the Darzi review powerfully set out the urgent case for change for people at the margins, describing homelessness as a ‘health catastrophe’. We witness this reality every day in our Pathway hospital teams, and it is tragically evident in the shocking numbers of deaths of people facing homelessness each year. Improving care for the sickest people in our country, therefore, cannot wait until the NHS is ‘fixed’.
With such a positive settlement for the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), Pathway looks to the forthcoming NHS 10 Year Plan and the cross-Government homelessness strategy to set out the bold action needed to stop the stream of misery and suffering among people facing homelessness as they try to access the healthcare they need. The NHS must be integral to the Government’s plans to tackle the homelessness crisis.”
“The Spending Review sets out welcome significant financial commitments for the NHS and for social housing. It is vital that as these plans are implemented, the specific and urgent health needs of people experiencing homelessness are not overlooked,” said Alex Bax, CEO of Pathway. “Our experience on the frontline of homelessness healthcare demonstrates unequivocally that investing in inclusion health is not only a moral imperative but also a sound economic decision. Untreated complex health issues among those experiencing homelessness place a disproportionate burden on emergency services and acute hospital care. We must ensure that funding reaches the services that prevent homelessness, provide accessible healthcare, and support people to rebuild their lives and exit the homelessness permanently.”
Gareth, a Pathway volunteer who has experienced homelessness said, “I am concerned by the absence of meaningful commitments to inclusion health in the Spending Review. Without clear action to end unsafe discharges to the streets, the Government risks continuing the cycle of preventable harm. People experiencing homelessness should not be an afterthought in a health service meant for everyone. Time after time those who need the greatest support are forgotten about.”
“We stand ready to work with the Government and all stakeholders to ensure that the ambition of this Spending Review delivers real change for every individual, especially those who currently fall through the cracks of our systems,” added Alex Bax. “By prioritising inclusion health, we can build a healthier, more equitable society for all.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
- For media enquiries, interviews, please contact Steph Sykes on 07967 100 404 or stephanie.sykes@pathway.org.uk or Dee O’Connell on 07989 396 320 or dee.oconnell@pathway.org.uk
- Specialist homelessness doctors are available for interview.
- People with experience of homelessness are available for interview.
- Pathway is the UK’s leading homeless and inclusion health charity. We work with the NHS to improve healthcare for people experiencing homelessness and deep social exclusion. Our work focuses on developing and implementing evidence-based models of care, supporting specialist professionals, and influencing public policy to ensure health services play their part in ending homelessness.