Oral Answers to Questions Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateDepartment: Department of Health and Social Care
James Morris
Main Page: James Morris (Conservative - Halesowen and Rowley Regis)Department Debates - View all James Morris's debates with the Department of Health and Social Care
(1 year, 9 months ago)
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Maria Caulfield
Local healthcare decisions are made by local commissioning groups, but I am happy to raise that on behalf of the hon. Lady. We are putting an additional £2.3 billion a year into expanding and transforming mental health services in the community and patient services.
James Morris (Halesowen and Rowley Regis) (Con)
Although I welcome the new investment in emergency mental health services that was announced this week, does the Secretary of State agree that we must not lose sight of the fact that we need a long-term plan for the transformation of mental health services so that we achieve parity of esteem between mental and physical health in the NHS?
Steve Barclay
I do agree. That is why the long-term plan signalled the importance of mental health and the parity of which my hon. Friend speaks. It is also why, as the Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, my hon. Friend the Member for Lewes (Maria Caulfield), has said, additional funding is being targeted at mental health—the extra £2.3 billion a year from 2024—signalling this Government’s commitment to mental health, as he will have seen with the announcement on mental health ambulances this week.