Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure adequate mental health support is provided to Physician Associates following the publication of the Leng Review.

The health and wellbeing of all National Health Service staff is hugely important. Following the publication of the Leng Review, NHS England has written to NHS trusts, integrated care boards, and primary care networks reiterating their responsibilities to their staff as employers, including treating them with compassion and providing pastoral support where required. Importantly, it has also written directly to the staff most affected by the recommendations, setting out where they can find support if required.

Employers across the NHS have their own arrangements in place in line with their duty of care for supporting their staff, including occupational health provision, employee support programmes, and board level scrutiny through health and wellbeing guardians.