RCOT comment on impact of poor housing on hospital discharge delays
Housing must be recognised as a core determinant of mental health.
Commenting on a report from the Royal College of Psychiatrists, Look Ahead and the National Housing Federation, which found that mental health patients are unable to return home from hospital because of a lack of appropriate housing, Professional Advisor at the Royal College of Occupational Therapists, Lauren Walker, said:
‘This report shows the cost of treating housing as separate from health. Keeping people in hospital because there is nowhere suitable to go is distressing for individuals and a clear failure of system design.
‘The findings echo evidence set out in the upcoming RCOT and Foun Building Health into Homes strategic report from RCOT and Foundations: housing is fundamental to recovery, not an optional extra. Discharging people from hospital to unstable, inaccessible or unsupported homes increases the risk of relapse, readmission and crisis, creating the costly ‘revolving door’ the authors describe.
‘More alignment between health and housing policy is essential, but that's not enough on its own. Systems also need to invest in the right expertise to bridge the gap between clinical readiness and real‑world living. Occupational therapists bring a unique understanding of how people interact with their homes and communities and how environments can either support or undermine mental health recovery. Where this expertise is embedded early – in discharge planning, housing pathways and supported accommodation – people recover faster, sustain tenancies and avoid unnecessary readmission.
‘Unsuitable housing costs the health and care system £1.5 billion every year. Three quarters of health professionals support people whose housing is making them unwell. This presents a huge avoidable cost to society, as well as an opportunity to do something about it.
‘If we are serious about shifting care into the community and supporting people to live well, housing must be recognised as a core determinant of mental health and designed, funded and governed accordingly.’