Asked by: Lord Patel of Blackburn (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to help war veterans with mental illness.
Answered by Earl Howe - Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
All of the recommendations put forward by the hon Member for South West Wiltshire Dr Andrew Murrison in his report on Armed Forces and veterans' mental health – ‘Fighting Fit' - in 2010 have been implemented by the Department and the National Health Service in England in relation to services for veterans and by the Ministry of Defence for serving personnel.
Funding of £7.2 million is providing 10 veteran mental health teams across England. Each team provides mental health services that are specifically tailored to meet their local veteran population's needs and requirements. A National Veteran Mental Health Network has been established to identify and disseminate good practice across England and a national 24-hour veteran mental health helpline has been put in place.
An online, mental health well-being and counselling service for Armed Forces, their families and veterans – the Big White Wall - has also been developed. Working with the Royal College of General Practitioners we have put in place an e-learning training package for general practitioners (GPs). Health Education England has been mandated to provide training that will be available from summer 2015 to ensure that there will be a specialist GP in every local area trained in both the physical and mental health needs of veterans.
NHS England has commissioned Combat Stress to provide an acute Post Traumatic Stress Disorder services for veterans.
Asked by: Lord Patel of Blackburn (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that hospitals have senior doctors on duty overnight.
Answered by Earl Howe - Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
Everyone Counts: Planning for patients 2013-14 committed the National Health Service to move towards routine services being available seven days a week. The NHS Services, Seven Days a Week Forum was established to provide evidence and insight to support commissioners and providers to make this happen – which is essential to delivering a much more patient focused service, and one which offers the opportunity to improve clinical outcomes.
The Forum's Summary of Initial Findings concluded the NHS should adopt 10 evidence-based clinical standards to end current variations in outcomes. It was recognised the presence of consultants and the supervision they provide to doctors in training is integral to the delivery of the clinical standards, and should be available seven days a week.
To achieve this NHS England will use the range of commissioning tools and levers at its disposal, including the NHS Contract.
A seven day service does not mean individual doctors or nurses having to work every day of the week. Instead they will require hospitals to adjust their staffing rotas, making full use of the 76% increase in consultants since 2000.