Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Mental Health Facilities: Dorset

Tuesday 9 June 2026 · 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 0 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Labour Government is opening two new state-of-the-art mental health facilities in Dorset this summer.
  • Government is committed to addressing poor-quality NHS infrastructure and improving mental health facilities in Dorset.
  • 13 million is being invested to pilot enhanced training for staff to offer better mental health support in schools.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Lloyd Hatton Lab South Dorset
NHS Mental Health
Context

The question is prompted by the need for investment in mental health infrastructure, specifically mentioning the Forston clinic which requires upgrades.

Question

What steps he is taking to improve mental health facilities in Dorset. This summer, two new state-of-the-art mental health facilities are opening in Dorset: Chaddesley House in Poole and Seastone in Bournemouth. That is thanks to continued investment from this Labour Government. However, the Forston clinic in the west of the county requires fresh investment to upgrade worn-out hospital buildings. Will the Minister meet local NHS bosses, the hon. Member for West Dorset (Edward Morello) and me to discuss securing the investment needed to finally upgrade the Forston clinic?

Answer from Stephen Kinnock

My hon. Friend is right that his constituents will be able to access care at the new facilities in Poole and Bournemouth thanks to the Government's investment in the new hospitals programme, but there is more to do. We are committed to addressing poor-quality NHS infrastructure and ensuring that facilities such as Forston clinic are safe, comfortable and capable of high-quality care. That is why we are investing £30 billion over five years for the maintenance and repair of the NHS estate. We would be delighted to meet the hon. Members and local NHS leaders to discuss the issue further.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific ask about a meeting was not directly confirmed, instead promising to consider the matter in future discussions.

How: Under Review, Committed To

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Q2 Lloyd Hatton Lab South Dorset
NHS Mental Health
Context

The question is prompted by the need for investment in mental health infrastructure, specifically mentioning the Forston clinic which requires upgrades.

Question

This summer, two new state-of-the-art mental health facilities are opening in Dorset: Chaddesley House in Poole and Seastone in Bournemouth. That is thanks to continued investment from this Labour Government. However, the Forston clinic in the west of the county requires fresh investment to upgrade worn-out hospital buildings. Will the Minister meet local NHS bosses, the hon. Member for West Dorset (Edward Morello) and me to discuss securing the investment needed to finally upgrade the Forston clinic?

Answer from Stephen Kinnock

My hon. Friend is right that his constituents will be able to access care at the new facilities in Poole and Bournemouth thanks to the Government's investment in the new hospitals programme, but there is more to do. We are committed to addressing poor-quality NHS infrastructure and ensuring that facilities such as Forston clinic are safe, comfortable and capable of high-quality care. That is why we are investing £30 billion over five years for the maintenance and repair of the NHS estate. We would be delighted to meet the hon. Members and local NHS leaders to discuss the issue further.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific ask about a meeting was not directly confirmed, instead promising to consider the matter in future discussions.

How: Under Review, Committed To

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Q3 Vikki Slade Lib Dem Mid Dorset and North Poole
Mental Health Children & Families
Context

The question is prompted by the high rates of hospitalisation for self-harm among young people in Dorset, with evidence suggesting early onset of mental health conditions.

Question

I thank the Minister for his comments about Forston, which some of my residents use. Evidence suggests that half of mental health conditions are established by age 14, and three quarters by age 24. In Dorset, our rates of hospitalisation for self-harm are almost twice the national average for 15 to 19-year-olds. I recently met Anya, a student at Lytchett school and deputy Member of Youth Parliament for Dorset. She has launched her “Health in Mind” campaign to ease young people back into school following periods of mental or physical health issues. It is so inspiring to see the work that she is doing, but will the Minister meet me and Anya to hear more about her campaign and to see how we can reintegrate children more successfully back into school after ill health, particularly mental ill health?

Answer from Stephen Kinnock

I pay tribute to Anya for the outstanding work she is doing. We are providing early intervention for children's mental health and wellbeing by rolling out mental health support teams to every school by 2029. We are also investing £13 million to pilot enhanced training for staff so that they can offer more support to young people with complex needs such as trauma, neurodivergence and disordered eating. If the hon. Lady writes to me with further details of Anya's work, I am sure that we can continue that conversation.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific ask about a meeting was not directly confirmed, instead suggesting communication via writing.

How: Under Review, Committed To

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)