Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the judgment in the case of Callie Lewis, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that (a) community mental health and (b) Kent & Medway NHS Trust caseworker cases are covered when they are on sick leave.

It is the responsibility of each National Health Service organisation to determine how they manage cover for sick leave with guidance available from both NHS Employers and NHS England and NHS Improvement.

NHS England and NHS Improvement have informed us that Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust’s sickness absence is managed in accordance with trust policy and reviewed on a monthly basis.