Oral Answers to Questions

Iain Stewart Excerpts

Tuesday 19th December 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Dunne]

Bed occupancy rates are high at this time, not least following the recent cold snap, which has put additional pressure on hospital trusts. We have used some of the funding provided in the March Budget to increase the rates of delayed transfers of care to improve patient flow throughout all hospitals, and that has led to a slight reduction in bed occupancy in the run-up to winter.

[Iain Stewart (Milton Keynes South) (Con)]

8. What steps he is taking to increase the size of the mental health workforce.

[The Secretary of State for Health (Mr Jeremy Hunt)]

In order to increase the number of mental health patients we treat by 1 million every year by 2020-21, we are increasing the number of mental health posts in the NHS by 21,000.

[Iain Stewart]

I certainly welcome that increase, but does my right hon. Friend agree that there is a particular need to address mental health issues in schools? Could he set out what plans he has to give extra support there?

[Mr Hunt]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right, for the simple reason that prevention is better than cure, and about half of all mental health conditions become established before the age of 14. That is why it was so significant that, following the Budget, we announced the allocation of an extra £300 million through the mental health Green Paper, precisely to improve the service we offer students in schools.