Mental Health and NHS Performance

Debate between Jeremy Hunt and Seema Kennedy

Monday 9th January 2017 Commons Chamber

[Seema Kennedy (South Ribble) (Con)]

Does my right hon. Friend acknowledge the damaging effect that loneliness can have on mental health, and will he join me in welcoming the launch of the Jo Cox loneliness commission at the end of this month?

[Mr Hunt]

I am happy to do that and to acknowledge the importance of this issue. The latest figures I have seen are that 5 million older people say that their main form of company is the television, which is not acceptable, and we all have a responsibility to do better. It is not just a moral but a practical issue, as loneliness makes people more likely to need hospital treatment, which is of course expensive and challenging for the NHS.