Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Alistair Burt and Amanda Solloway

Tuesday 5th July 2016 Commons Chamber

[Alistair Burt]

Although there is a general shortage, to which my right hon. Friend referred when speaking about the work being done to recruit, retain and return GPs, bursaries are available in particularly difficult areas as incentives for people to go to such areas. NHS England concentrates on trying to ensure that under-doctored areas are properly resourced.

[Amanda Solloway (Derby North) (Con)]

The recently published Mental Health Taskforce report recommended that NHS England should by 2021 support at least 30,000 more women annually with specialist mental healthcare during the perinatal period. Will my right hon. Friend assure me that the Department will be working to reach that target?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Alistair Burt and Amanda Solloway

Tuesday 5th January 2016 Commons Chamber

[Amanda Solloway (Derby North) (Con)]

14. What steps his Department is taking to involve young people in plans for improving children and young people’s mental health.

[The Minister for Community and Social Care (Alistair Burt)]

Clinical commissioning groups have produced local transformation plans to transform their local offer for children and young people’s mental health. Those plans were decided at local level in collaboration with children, young people and those who care for them. I remember my visit to Derby very well, and I am pleased to say that the NHS in that area has collaborated extremely well with young people to produce those plans.

[Amanda Solloway]

Last year the Derby youth council ran a consultation on the provision of mental health services in Derby, which highlighted the disparity of services among different trusts. What steps is the Minister taking to ensure that NHS trusts across the UK offer the same level of support for those suffering from mental health issues?

[Alistair Burt]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. I have talked more than once at this Dispatch Box about the variation in performance on different issues around the country. Two or three things will help. On funding and resources, there is a better tracking system to make sure that money that goes into children and young persons’ mental health services will be spent appropriately. More money is going into that. Equally, a children and young persons’ mental health improvement team is working across the national health service to make sure that those variations are evened out so that good practice in the best areas becomes the practice of all.