Commons Sense

House of Commons · Adjournment Debate

Mental Health Support: Wirral

24 April 2023 · 1 other contributor

Opened by Alison McGovern Lab Birkenhead

Mental Health

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Alison McGovern raised concerns about mental health support: wirral in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.

Key points

  • The hon. Member for Birkenhead highlighted insufficient mental health care services and stigma around mental health issues in her constituency.
  • She noted a significant backlog in the IAPT service with a target unmet rate of nearly 10% as of December 2022.
  • The Minister of State acknowledged the challenges and outlined substantial government investments, including an additional 2.3 billion annually to support more people with NHS-funded mental health services.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Alison McGovern Lab Birkenhead

The hon. Member for Birkenhead raised concerns about insufficient mental health care services in her constituency, highlighting the stigma around mental health issues and the difficulty of tracking waiting times accurately compared to physical health conditions. She pointed out a significant backlog within the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) service, with a target unmet rate of nearly 10% as of December 2022. McGovern expressed frustration over lengthy waiting periods for more intensive mental health counselling and interventions, which can stretch up to eight to nine months in some cases. She also noted that these long waits exacerbate existing inequalities by preventing individuals from securing timely support, particularly those in less secure employment situations. Finally, she emphasised the need for increased staffing levels, smarter targets, and innovative approaches to address mental health issues effectively.

Other contributors (1)
  • Margaret Greenwood Lab Wirral West

    The hon. Member for Wirral West highlighted similar concerns regarding mental health care services for children and young people, emphasising the need for targeted strategies to address this critical issue.

Government Response

Maria Caulfield

The Minister of State, Department of Health and Social Care, Maria Caulfield acknowledged the significant challenges faced in mental health care provision, particularly in the Wirral. She outlined substantial investments by the Government towards improving mental health services across England, including an additional £2.3 billion annually to support 2 million more people with NHS-funded mental health services compared to pre-2018 levels. Caulfield detailed ongoing efforts to introduce new waiting time standards for mental health services and stressed the importance of early intervention through programmes like mental health support teams in schools and colleges. She highlighted local initiatives such as the 'Talking Together Wirral' programme, which has successfully helped many individuals recover through talking therapies since January 2023. Additionally, she committed to working with the hon. Member for Birkenhead on recruitment of more mental health workers and implementing innovative community-based support models to alleviate pressure on A&E services. The Minister concluded by expressing her commitment to addressing the identified issues and improving mental health care provision in the Wirral.

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