Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what evaluation has been undertaken of the adequacy of existing (a) mental health emergency departments and (b) community mental health centres and their impact on waiting times, hospital admissions and patient outcomes.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We keep all existing programmes under review. Early implementer mental health emergency departments have provided learning which is informing the next phase of rollout. In addition, the pilot programme for community mental health centres is being evaluated, with a final report expected in October 2026. Further details on the rollout of community mental health centres and mental health emergency departments will be published in due course.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what metrics will be used to determine whether the proposed expansion of community mental health services represents value for money.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We keep all existing programmes under review. Early implementer mental health emergency departments have provided learning which is informing the next phase of rollout. In addition, the pilot programme for community mental health centres is being evaluated, with a final report expected in October 2026. Further details on the rollout of community mental health centres and mental health emergency departments will be published in due course.
Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove and Portslade)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the closure of Papyrus HOPELINE247 on the health and well-being of children and young people; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure continued access to specialist suicide prevention support for children and young people following the closure of that service.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government’s Suicide Prevention Strategy identifies children and young people as a priority group and sets out a range of actions across education, healthcare, and online safety to help identify risk earlier, provide timely support, and reduce the number of young lives lost to suicide. We recognise the significant contribution the Papyrus HOPELINE247 has made to these efforts in recent years, and it is very sad to see the reports concerning its closure, but we will continue to ensure that every young person needing urgent mental health support knows they have somewhere to turn.
Asked by: Lord Mott (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the need for key performance indicators and investment standards covering ADHD and neurodivergence within the health system.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The NHS Medium Term Planning Framework, published on 24 October 2025, requires integrated care boards and providers to optimise existing resources to reduce long waits for autism and ADHD assessments and improve the quality of assessments by implementing the relevant guidance in each area.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients detained under Part III of the Mental Health Act 1983 are held in (a) low, (b) medium and (c) high secure hospitals as of the latest date for which figures are available.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England publishes annual Mental Health Act Statistics, including the total number of people detained under the Mental Health Act on 31 March each year. The latest data is available at the link below, and new data for the year ending 31 March 2026 will be published on 15 October:
Table 8a in the Mental Health Act Statistics, Annual Figures, 2024-25, available at the following link, provides information on discharges from hospital under court and prison disposal provisions, excluding Community Treatment Orders, broken down by section:
Figures are provided for both the number of discharges, and the length of detention. Data on patients detained under Part III of the Mental Health Act 1983 is not broken down by hospital security level.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients detained under Part III of the Mental Health Act 1983 were discharged from hospital in the most recent 12 months for which data is available, broken down by section.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England publishes annual Mental Health Act Statistics, including the total number of people detained under the Mental Health Act on 31 March each year. The latest data is available at the link below, and new data for the year ending 31 March 2026 will be published on 15 October:
Table 8a in the Mental Health Act Statistics, Annual Figures, 2024-25, available at the following link, provides information on discharges from hospital under court and prison disposal provisions, excluding Community Treatment Orders, broken down by section:
Figures are provided for both the number of discharges, and the length of detention. Data on patients detained under Part III of the Mental Health Act 1983 is not broken down by hospital security level.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients are currently detained under Part III of the Mental Health Act 1983, broken down by section.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England publishes annual Mental Health Act Statistics, including the total number of people detained under the Mental Health Act on 31 March each year. The latest data is available at the link below, and new data for the year ending 31 March 2026 will be published on 15 October:
Table 8a in the Mental Health Act Statistics, Annual Figures, 2024-25, available at the following link, provides information on discharges from hospital under court and prison disposal provisions, excluding Community Treatment Orders, broken down by section:
Figures are provided for both the number of discharges, and the length of detention. Data on patients detained under Part III of the Mental Health Act 1983 is not broken down by hospital security level.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much her Department spent on activities relating to Pride Month 2026.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department did not incur any spend associated with or linked to Pride Month 2026.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether Tom Kibasi still works for DHSC.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We can confirm that Tom Kibasi does not work for the Department.
Asked by: Shockat Adam (Independent - Leicester South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment her Department has made of the evidence on early treatment with antibiotics for suspected cases of PANS and PANDAS; and whether she will support the issuing of advice to GPs on prescribing a course of antibiotics where those conditions are suspected.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Further to the answer provided on 20 July in response to Question 18432, the clinical guideline remains in development through the PANS PANDAS Steering Group, under the leadership of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. The Steering Group brings together clinicians, professional organisations, families, and patient representatives, and as well as developing the clinical guideline, its work includes supporting education, research, and improved awareness of these conditions.
Once finalised, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence anticipates reviewing the guideline and, if it considers it to be of sufficient quality, will signpost to it on its website with commentary on its strengths and limitations. The guideline will also help inform any future awareness and education activity, including the training curricula produced jointly by regulators, royal colleges, and professional bodies.
Clinical decisions, including prescribing decisions, will remain for the treating clinician, informed by professional judgement, the available evidence, and relevant guidance. Each clinician is responsible for keeping that knowledge up to date. Integrated care boards, primary care providers, and National Health Service trusts are also expected to keep abreast of emerging evidence and guidance and consider it through their clinical governance arrangements.
There is currently no routine national data collection on the number of children and young people affected by paediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS) and paediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections (PANDAS).
The Steering Group’s Research Group is progressing work to improve understanding of the number of children and young people affected. Applications have been made to the independent British Paediatric Surveillance Unit and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Surveillance System.
Information on research funded through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) relating to PANS and PANDAS is available through the NIHR Funding and Awards website. The NIHR welcomes applications for research into all aspects of human health, including PANS and PANDAS. The NIHR Funding and Awards website is available at the following link:
https://fundingawards.nihr.ac.uk/