Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support the employment of qualified counsellors in paid roles within mental health services.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department welcomes the appointment of qualified counsellors to roles within National Health Service mental health services. However, employment decisions are for individual employers, and we would expect any such appointments to be based on the successful candidate’s abilities and skills.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of recent reductions in NHSP overtime pay rates for Band 5 nurses on NHS staff (a) retention and (b) morale.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS Professionals, a limited company wholly owned by the Department, contracts on an arm’s length basis with National Health Service trusts to provide flexible workforce solutions, including managed bank services and its National Bank offering.
Shifts made available by trusts through NHS Professionals are not classed as overtime. Trusts request that NHS Professionals fill a shift from its bank membership and specify the pay rate, as it may be at the Agenda for Change rate for that assignment, or may be at an enhanced rate.
Enhanced rates were initially introduced in response to competition from higher cost agencies, and were always intended to be a temporary measure. A decision to amend the rates was made by the Stockport NHS Foundation Trust following a detailed review of the enhanced bank rates in nursing and midwifery services across the Greater Manchester area.
The Government is committed to making the NHS the best place to work, to ensure we retain more of our skilled and dedicated staff. NHS England is leading work nationally through its retention programme to drive a consistent, system-wide approach to staff retention across NHS trusts. This ensures trusts have access to proven retention strategies, data-driven monitoring, and can foster a more stable, engaged, productive, and supported workforce.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of recent reductions in NHSP overtime pay rates on the NHS's ability to meet (a) existing and (b) projected patient demand.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department has not made this specific assessment.
NHS Professionals Ltd (NHSP) is a company, wholly owned by my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, providing temporary staffing services to National Health Service trust clients. NHSP’s client trusts determine the rates payable to bank staff supplied by NHSP, and it is a matter for those NHS trusts to assess the impact of bank pay rates on their ability to meet existing and projected patient needs.
Shifts made available by trusts through NHS Professionals are not classed as overtime. Trusts request that NHS Professionals fill a shift from its bank membership and specify the pay rate.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the number of contacts that UK NHS Ambulance Trusts have had with people who are (a) experiencing suicidal ideation and (b) committing suicide in each of the last five years.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
This information is not held centrally. We know that suicide is complex and there are a range of factors outside of the mental health system that we will need to address if we are to achieve the Government’s aim.
We will need to continue working across Government and with a wide range of organisations outside of Government to do this. That is why we have a dedicated cross-Government Suicide Prevention Strategy.
We have commissioned research to explore why suicide rates amongst children and young people were increasing until recently. We expect the results to be published very shortly, and will use the findings to inform next steps.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing incentive schemes to encourage NHS dentists to practice in areas that are experiencing a shortage of NHS dental professionals.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are determined to rebuild National Health Service dentistry, but it will take time and there are no quick fixes. Strengthening the workforce is key to our ambitions.
Integrated care boards have started to advertise posts through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment incentive will see up to 240 dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of investing in mental health services to help tackle substance abuse.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises the need for evidenced-based, high-quality drug and alcohol services, and will ensure that anyone with a substance use problem can access the help and support they need. To achieve this, we also recognise the vital need for high-quality integrated care for those with co-occurring mental health and substance use conditions.
Local authorities are responsible for assessing the local need for alcohol and drug prevention and treatment in their area, and for commissioning services to meet these needs, whilst most mental health services in England are funded and commissioned by integrated care boards. There are currently no plans to change this arrangement, but we are working to promote more cohesive and joined up care between mental health and substance use services. In addition to the Public Health Grant, in 2025/26, the Department is providing a total of £310 million in additional targeted grants to improve drug and alcohol services and recovery support, which includes housing and employment. Alongside this, for 2025/26, mental health spending is forecast to amount to £15.6 billion. This represents a significant uplift in real terms spending on mental health compared to the previous financial year. Integrated care boards are forecast to meet the Mental Health Investment Standard over the 2025/26 financial year, meaning that local health services will invest a greater share of their budgets into frontline mental health services.
In addition to continued investment, we intend to soon publish the Co-occurring Mental Health and Substance Use Action Plan, which has been co-produced between the Department and NHS England. The action plan provides national commitments and calls to the sector on how the health system can improve delivery of joined-up, person-centred care across drug and alcohol treatment and mental health services.
Furthermore, the Office of Health Improvement and Disparities has published a Commissioning Quality Standard in 2022 which provides guidance for drug and alcohol treatment commissioners on improving services for people with co-occurring mental health and alcohol or drug conditions. This standard sets out that local services need to work together so that people can access the help they need for both their mental health and their alcohol or drug use.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve access to cognitive behavioural therapy for autistic adults with (a) a gambling addiction and (b) other forms of addiction.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
National Health Service treatment for those experiencing gambling-related harms is currently offered through 15 specialist clinics, representing every region of England. These clinics provide access to expert clinicians who are able to offer relevant psychological and psychiatric support, including cognitive behavioural therapy. The Department is also continuing to invest in local drug and alcohol treatment services.
In addition, people, including autistic people, who are experiencing symptoms of anxiety and/or depression as a result of an addiction can be referred by their general practitioner, or can self-refer, to NHS Talking Therapies.
Operational guidance for autism assessment services, published by NHS England in April 2023, sets out the expectation that primary and secondary mental health and psychological therapies services should make reasonable adjustments to routine care, so that it is more accessible for autistic people. Further information is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/autism-diagnosis-and-operational-guidance/
NHS England has also published guidance for NHS systems on how to improve the quality and accessibility of care and support for autistic adults to meet their mental health needs, which is available at the following link:
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve access to NHS dental care for (a) pregnant women and (b) women in the postnatal period.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are aware of the challenges faced in accessing a dentist and we want to make sure that everyone who needs a National Health Service dentist can get one, including pregnant women and new mothers. The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access NHS dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most.
Pregnant women and women who have had a baby in the last 12 months are eligible for free NHS dental treatment. Further information is available at the following link:
https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/dentists/get-help-with-dental-costs/
The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to the integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For the Hazel Grove constituency, this is NHS Greater Manchester ICB.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to expand dental training programmes.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
To reform the National Health Service and make it fit for the future, we have launched a 10-Year Health Plan as part of the Government’s five long-term missions.
A central part of the 10-Year Health Plan will be our workforce and how we ensure we train and provide the staff, technology, and infrastructure the NHS needs to care for patients across our communities.
We will publish a refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade and treat patients on time again.
We will ensure the NHS has the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the care patients need when they need it.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve access to cognitive behavioural therapy for people experiencing insomnia.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
It is for local integrated care boards to decide whether cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) should be offered to their populations as a treatment for insomnia.
NHS Talking Therapies for anxiety and depression offers low-intensity therapy which may include interventions around sleep hygiene. Individuals who are experiencing symptoms of anxiety and/or depression can be referred by their general practitioner, or can self-refer, to NHS Talking Therapies. This is available via the following link:
https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/talking-therapies-medicine-treatments/talking-therapies-and-counselling/nhs-talking-therapies/
Individuals can also access helpful resources on sleep problems on the Every Mind Matters website. This is available at the following link: https://www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/mental-health-issues/sleep/
In addition, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s Prioritisation Board has recently agreed to prioritise digital technologies that deliver CBT interventions for insomnia and insomnia symptoms as a topic for the development of HealthTech guidance.