Oral Answers to Questions

Cherilyn Mackrory Excerpts

Tuesday 23rd June 2020 Commons Chamber

[Jo Churchill]

The hon. Gentleman will know which parts of that are still open for discussion between us, but we are of course driving hard to make sure that patients get their radiotherapy and treatment as quickly as they can. The NHS has a “Help Us Help You” campaign: it is open for business and people should make sure that they attend any appointment they are called to.

[Cherilyn Mackrory (Truro and Falmouth) (Con)]

What steps his Department is taking to support the mental health of NHS workers during the covid-19 outbreak.

[Jane Stevenson (Wolverhampton North East) (Con)]

What steps his Department is taking to support the mental health of NHS workers during the covid-19 outbreak.

[The Minister for Care (Helen Whately)]

Our NHS workers—from the doctors, nurses and allied health professionals to the healthcare assistants, porters and all those who work behind the scenes—are truly heroes. I wish to say a special thank you to students: thank you to the medical students and nursing students who courageously stepped up to work at the frontline in a global pandemic. I am determined to do all that we can for our NHS workers. We have set up a round-the-clock mental health support line, which includes a freephone helpline run by the Samaritans and an out-of-hours text support service provided by Shout.

[Cherilyn Mackrory]

I thank the Minister for her answer and wish her a very happy birthday.

Due to physical challenges with geography in rural communities, such as much of my Truro and Falmouth constituency, there can be higher incidences of mental health issues, loneliness and isolation, and that has been intensified by the covid-19 pandemic. Will my hon. Friend provide an update on departmental plans for support for mental health issues in rural communities?

[Helen Whately]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right: we anticipate an increase in demand for mental health support, including in rural communities, as a result of the pandemic. We are working with the NHS and a wide range of stakeholders to understand the need for mental health support all over the country and to make sure that that support is in place.