Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to increase the number of mental health specialists who can treat post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health impacts suffered by (1) health and care staff, and (2) patients who have recovered from COVID-19; and what plans they have to provide 24-hour access to mental health support for health and care staff through a dedicated helpline.

Growing the psychological professions is a priority for this Government and is essential to fulfilling the vision set out in the NHS Long Term Plan for mental health services in England. Health Education England and NHS England and NHS Improvement are working with employers and professional bodies to ensure we continue to have the pipeline of staff we need to support patients and to accommodate any increase in demand.

NHS England and NHS Improvement have put in place a support package for all National Health Service staff during the COVID-19 outbreak including helplines that offer counselling and help with bereavement. It incorporates learning from past traumatic events and will help NHS staff to recover long after the COVID-19 response has subsided.