Local leaders have been asked to act now to support the Prime Minister’s national drive to end rough sleeping and ensure everyone has a route off the streets by Christmas.

Letters asking for immediate action have been sent by the Health and Housing Secretaries to council and NHS leaders in areas with the highest numbers of people sleeping rough - including Milton Keynes.

It asks the leaders to identify and support people at risk of rough sleeping in their areas and improve access to services, working together across health, housing and care. It also calls for improvements on how they deliver mental health and drug and alcohol support, as well as improvements to hospital discharge.

Dame Diana Johnson, Minister of State for Public Health and Patient Safety, said: “We are calling on NHS leaders, councils and local partners to act urgently so everyone sleeping rough has a route off the streets before Christmas.

“That means joining up mental health and drug and alcohol services, removing barriers to GP care, and planning safe discharge so people are not sent from hospital back to the streets.”

The letter comes a week after Milton Keynes City Council announced that it has approved new government funding of £4.8 million to ensure more people have access to safe accommodation, ongoing rehabilitation support and a permanent route away from the streets.

The Government has published improved guidance giving actions for the health and care sector around rough sleeping. It includes better co-ordination of support and planning around people with multiple needs and removing barriers to accessing healthcare - particularly for those without a home.

It also states that health, housing and car partners should work together so no one is released from hospital into homelessness and without support in place.

People experiencing rough sleeping face among the worst health outcomes with 80% reporting a physical health condition, 83% reporting a mental health need and 54% reporting a drug or alcohol need.

In August, the government announced new funding for local authorities and Mayoral Strategic Authorities to help end rough sleeping.

It has now announced a further £432 million investment in the Rough Sleeping Programme, including funding to continue routes off the streets in 2027/28 and 2028/29.

This means local areas can continue support beyond this winter and avoids a cliff edge at the end of 2026/27, which could risk people returning to the streets.

This funding takes total rough sleeping money put forward by the Prime Minister to support his goal of ending rough sleeping to £874 million.