Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures are in place to ensure that people with Parkinson's disease who are digitally excluded and have symptoms of the motor speech disorder dysarthria can access psychological therapies during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Throughout the COVID-19 outbreak, the National Health Service has been clear on the importance of maintaining face to face care for those patients who need it, and of patient choice in determining suitability for digital appointments.
When delivering face to face appointments, mental health services are expected to follow the latest guidance on the use of personal protective equipment in healthcare settings to support infection prevention and control. Services will be further enabled by the roll out of the NHS Test and Trace service to reduce transmission risk and deliver face to face services in as safe a way as possible.