HOMELESSNESS was a factor in dozens of emergency hospital admissions at the Dorset University Hospitals Trust last year, figures suggest.

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 obtained by RADAR reveals 60 emergency visits to University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust had a diagnosis of homelessness in the year to March.

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

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 they’ve reached crisis point.

A Department for levelling up, housing and communities spokeswoman said more than two-thirds of the 37,000 vulnerable people supported through the Everyone In initiative have moved into longer-term accommodation.

She said: “Rough sleepers are some of the most vulnerable people in our society and the Government is committed to ending rough sleeping once and for all.

“We recently announced £66 million to provide somewhere safe and warm for rough sleepers to stay this winter and help those in trapped in drug and alcohol addiction.

"This is on top of the £30 million we are investing in specialist mental health services for people sleeping rough.”