Suicide Reduction

Debate between Baroness Merron and Lord Stirrup

Monday 8th September 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

I thank my noble friend for her comments and kindness. She is quite right that maternal health is absolutely key and to speak about the impact not only on mothers but on their children. We have developed a considerable programme for mental health well-being. We are also recruiting 8,500 mental health workers to reduce delays and provide fast treatment, because we need to ease pressure on what are incredibly busy mental health services. The area to which my noble friend referred is key and will be part of our development on maternity provision.

[Lord Stirrup (CB)]

My Lords, suicide rates among veterans as a whole are broadly in line with those of the population at large, but they are much higher among younger veterans, both men and women. There is evidence that, in the past, the NHS has struggled to understand the mental needs of such veterans. What is being done to improve the situation?

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

The noble and gallant Lord raises an important point. I have been in discussion about a whole range of matters around veterans’ health with the Veterans Minister, and I would be very pleased to discuss this further with him in the way that the noble and gallant Lord described.

NHS: Electronic Patient Record Systems

Debate between Baroness Merron and Lord Stirrup

Wednesday 12th February 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

I first acknowledge the role that the noble Lord, and the noble Lord, Lord Markham, played when they were Health Ministers. They both drove this agenda forward. I am grateful for that. The tailored support includes a number of activities to install, upgrade and optimise electronic patient records to meet the standard that the noble Lord is aware that we need to meet. I am sure that he is aware of the What Good Looks Like digital framework. That is an assessment of how digitally mature a system is. It gives guidance but also highlights where intervention must take place to bring it up to the right standard, which we would all want to see.

[Lord Stirrup (CB)]

What progress is being made to improve the flow of patient information between trusts, which at the moment is poor, contributing to NHS inefficiency and hampering the timely treatment of patients?

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

The noble and gallant Lord is right. Your Lordships’ House will be aware that, of the three main shifts that will be amplified in the 10-year plan, this plays very well into not only analogue to digital but the move from hospital to community, and sickness to prevention. The noble and gallant Lord is right that we need digital capability across aspects of not just the NHS but social care. We are developing various aspects, including the federated data platform and single patient records. We are engaging with the public and stakeholders to understand their views about the use of health data so that we can get it absolutely right.