More health support needed for homeless

More must be done to help homeless people access mental health services, a new report has concluded.

The Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland has made a series of recommendations after a study revealed barriers facing those who need support.

The commission spoke to 43 homeless people about their experiences in accessing services for homelessness and mental ill-health. More than half said they experienced depression, 20 had experienced sexual or physical abuse, 14 had been in care and almost half had spent some time in prison.

The report found some homeless people faced “significant” difficulties in getting registered with a GP while those diagnosed with both mental ill-health and addiction issues sometimes had difficulty in getting help.