Homeless people are to receive more help and support once they are discharged from hospital, following a roll-out of £10 million in government funding.
The funds will be used to ensure better intermediate care is available for homeless people after discharge and to support voluntary organisations working with them.
Homeless people are admitted to hospital four times as often as people with a home and the cost of treating them there costs the NHS £85 million per year.
Government estimates suggest 70 per cent of homeless people are discharged from hospital onto the street without their health and housing problems being properly addressed and public health minister Anna Soubry is keen to make a reduction in this number.
She said: 'This is damaging to the health [of homeless people] and increases NHS costs through "revolving door" admissions.'