Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Mental Health Support

Tuesday 19 November 2024 · 3 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 2 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Ministerial commitments include recruiting 8500 more mental health workers and providing mental health support in every school.
  • The Government plans to introduce a Bill to modernise the Mental Health Act 1983 and roll out young futures hubs in every community.
  • The Minister agrees to meet a Labour MP to discuss family experiences with complex mental health needs and long waiting times.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Abtisam Mohamed Lab Sheffield Central
Mental Health
Context

The question follows the findings of Lord Darzi, who reported that mental health waiting lists have surged with more than 100,000 children waiting a year for their first appointment.

Question

I am concerned about the steps being taken to improve mental health support services. According to Lord Darzi's report, mental health waiting lists have surged, with over 100,000 children waiting a year for their first appointment. What specific measures are you taking to address these issues?

Answer from Andrew Gwynne

We will recruit 8,500 more mental health workers, provide access to mental health support in every school, roll out young futures hubs in every community, and introduce a Bill to modernise the Mental Health Act 1983. These measures aim to improve mental health services.

Answered
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Q2 Abtisam Mohamed Lab Sheffield Central
NHS Mental Health
Context

The question follows the previous exchange and addresses specific challenges faced by families in accessing mental health services, including long waiting times and insufficient support staff.

Question

I welcome the Minister's comments. My brother has very complex mental health needs. We as a family know at first hand the difficulties not only of accessing the services and of the long waiting times, but the challenge of support staff who are not constantly on a churn and the lack of community-funded support services. Our experience is no different to that of many other families. Will the Minister meet me to discuss how we will make mental health services more accessible in communities, invest more in preventive services and fund more community-based provision?

Answer from Andrew Gwynne

I will be pleased to meet my hon. Friend. This Government think it is unacceptable that too many people are not receiving the care they deserve, and we know that waits for mental health services are far too long. We are determined to change that with measures such as NHS 111 for mental health.

Answered
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Q3 Josh Babarinde Lib Dem Eastbourne
Mental Health Local Government
Context

The question addresses the critical role of facilities such as leisure centres and swimming pools in supporting local people's mental health, specifically referring to the Sovereign Centre in Eastbourne.

Question

Facilities such as leisure centres and swimming pools—like the Sovereign Centre in Eastbourne where I learned to swim—are critical in supporting people's mental health locally. Will the Minister support me in putting pressure on the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to expand the criteria of the towns fund to allow us to be able to spend it to invest in our leisure centres and sports and fitness facilities for local people?

Answer from Andrew Gwynne

I am grateful to the hon. Member for his question. We are a mission-led Government, and tackling health inequalities is not just for the Department of Health and Social Care but all Departments. I will be very happy to raise the role that Ministers can play in improving mental health and wellbeing with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not commit to expanding the towns fund criteria for leisure centres.

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