Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress has been made on implementing recommendation 36 in the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health on ensuring that all GPs receive core mental health training by 2020.

The Government is working to ensure that all general practitioners are suitably trained in mental health issues. Mental health care is an essential element of general practice. Mental health care is emphasised in the Royal College of General Practitioners (GP) curriculum. All GP specialty trainees receive mental health training in their 18 months in general practice and this is regarded as a core element of their training.

Health Education England is working with NHS England and Royal College of General Practitioners to further improve mental health training of GPs as part of building training capacity in primary care for multi-professional, multi-disciplinary training, clinical placements and continuing professional development.