Mental Health: Children’s Services

Lord Roberts of Llandudno Excerpts

Thursday 19th January 2017 Lords Chamber

[Lord O'Shaughnessy]

The noble and learned Baroness may know that over the past five years I have been setting up primary free schools, with an explicit focus on developing character, well-being and resilience in young people, so I could not agree with her more—it has to start early. Indeed, it does not have to start in primary; it must start in early years and, of course, it must start with parenting and giving parents the skills that they need to teach resilience in their children.

[Lord Roberts of Llandudno (LD)]

Is the Minister aware that half the immigrant children in the Calais or Dunkirk camps were diagnosed with mental health problems? As we are supposed to accept 20,000 refugees in the next three years, is there sufficient funding and awareness of the need to add to our commitment?

[Lord O'Shaughnessy]

I was not aware of that fact, but it is clearly an important one and I shall write to the noble Lord with the information about what we are doing to support those children who come to this country.

Health: Diabetes and Obesity

Lord Roberts of Llandudno Excerpts

Thursday 30th June 2016 Lords Chamber

[Lord Prior of Brampton]

I think that the levy on sugary drinks has been universally welcomed as a start. That the proceeds of the levy will be put into the sport premium in primary schools and lengthening the school day in secondary schools is all for the good. If we are to address obesity, it has be across a very wide front.

[Lord Roberts of Llandudno (LD)]

My Lords, with the cuts in education budgets and consequent reduction in the number of nurses in schools, who are able to keep a special eye on diabetic pupils, will the Minister give an instruction that is helpful to education authorities and schools to replace somehow the specialised nursing staff who have done such a great job over the years?

[Lord Prior of Brampton]

My Lords, I cannot address the specific issue of the number of nursing staff in schools, but the Government are well aware that encouraging children to eat well and take exercise is a crucial part of any obesity strategy. As I said, our strategy will be revealed later in the year.

Primary Care: Targets

Lord Roberts of Llandudno Excerpts

Tuesday 13th October 2015 Lords Chamber

[Lord Prior of Brampton]

I completely agree with those comments. Over the next five years, we will see much greater integration of acute hospitals and primary care and community care.

[Lord Roberts of Llandudno (LD)]

My Lords, the suggestion has been made that nurses from overseas who are not earning £35,000 after five years will be deported. Does this mean that the Government are going to think again on this issue?

[Lord Prior of Brampton]

This raises an important point—that we ought to train our own nurses. Relying on recruitment from overseas is not a viable long-term strategy and we must increase the number of training places in the UK.

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence

Lord Roberts of Llandudno Excerpts

Monday 13th July 2015 Lords Chamber

[Lord Prior of Brampton]

I do not think that is a problem. In many ways, in acute hospitals we lack generalists. That is true of consultants as well of nurses. That is actually my noble friend’s point. Possibly there are too many specialists, but on a cardiac ward or a specialist acute ward you need specialist nurses who know how to operate the equipment as well as how to look after the patient. You need a good balance between the two but, if anything, I fear we have, as my noble friend said, become too specialist and insufficiently generalist.

[Lord Roberts of Llandudno (LD)]

My Lords, what is the Minister’s opinion of the Government’s decision to deport nurses from overseas who do not reach the £35,000 a year income level within five years?

[Lord Prior of Brampton]

The noble Lord raises a good point. We need to train as many of our own nurses as possible. There will be times when we get those calculations wrong and it will be necessary to bring in nurses from overseas. That is not a desirable outcome for many reasons, which there is not time to go into today. We need to train more ourselves.

Prisons: Mental Health

Lord Roberts of Llandudno Excerpts

Wednesday 24th June 2015 Lords Chamber

[Lord Prior of Brampton]

I am not aware of any current plans to conduct a survey similar to the one to which the noble Lord referred from 1998.

[Lord Roberts of Llandudno (LD)]

My Lords, what action will the Government take in Wales, where health is devolved to the Welsh Assembly but prisons are part of the Home Office remit? How will those two different aspects of government work together?

[Lord Prior of Brampton]

The noble Lord raises an issue to which, I confess, I have not given sufficient consideration to give a proper reply today. Perhaps I may take that away and come back to him. The simple answer to that question is: dialogue.