Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his Department's guidelines are for follow-up post-discharge support for patients who are diagnosed at accident and emergency departments with a mental health condition and with problems associated with substance or alcohol misuse.

We expect that anyone presenting at an emergency department where they are suspected of having mental health needs should receive an assessment to ensure the mental and physical needs are met and, where appropriate, an emergency care plan is put in place. People who require specialist mental health support should be referred to appropriate services. If an assessment identifies the need for further contact with services, including for mental health or alcohol or substance misuse, providers should ensure that follow-up arrangements are in place.

We are investing £250 million to ensure that every acute hospital has a mental health liaison team in place by 2020/21 and that 50% of services meet the core 24 standard of care. This will ensure that trained mental health professionals are available within emergency departments to ensure that people who present with mental health problems receive appropriate care.

We are investing £400 million to improve mental health crisis services in the community. We also remain committed to implementing the national Mental Health Crisis Care Concordat to ensure that all public services which come into contact with people with mental health problems work together and that no-one experiencing a mental health crisis is turned away.