Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps his Department has taken to support the mental health of people diagnosed with Parkinson’s in Enfield North constituency.

The Government is committed to supporting everyone’s mental health and wellbeing and ensuring that the right support is in place, including for those with long term physical health conditions such as Parkinson’s disease.

The National Health Service recognises that two-thirds of people with a common mental health problem also have a long-term physical health problem, and that integrating talking and psychological therapy services with physical health services can provide better support and achieve better outcomes. All local commissioners are expected to commission NHS talking therapies which are integrated into physical healthcare pathways.

The Government announced on 24 January 2023 that it will publish a Major Conditions Strategy, with mental health as one of the conditions covered. This will set out a strong and coherent policy agenda that sets out a shift to integrated, whole-person care. We will cover the patient pathway from prevention to treatment and set out the standards patient should expect in the short term and over a five-year timeframe.