Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what her policy is on preventing downgrades in the service offered by acute hospital Emergency Departments in areas of high housing growth.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We recognise the challenges that significant housing and population growth can place on health infrastructure. The National Health Service has a statutory duty to ensure that there are sufficient medical services, including accident and emergency care, in each local area.
Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning, including planning, securing and monitoring, services within their health systems through delegated responsibility from NHS England. Integrated care boards should evaluate the needs of the populations for which they are responsible and plan service provision accordingly.
The Department of Health and Social Care continues to work closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to determine how the developer contributions system can be strengthened and improved to support the planning and delivery of the required social infrastructure in areas of population growth.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of the Pharmacy First scheme on access to primary care and patient outcomes.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Pharmacy First is demonstrating the value of community pharmacies in providing convenient care closer to home. Since its launch, pharmacies have delivered more than seven million clinical pathway consultations, enabling patients to access treatment for common conditions without needing a general practice appointment.
NHS England keeps the service under review, and a National Institute for Health and Care Research evaluation is formally assessing how Pharmacy First has been implemented across England, including its impact on access to care, prescribing in general practice, use of hospital services and outcomes for different patient groups.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what is her position on the status of Emergency Department at Cheltenham General Hospital as a doctor-led unit during daytime hours, and whether the local Hospitals Trust is proposing to consult on any change to that service.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Decisions on the configuration of local hospital services are a matter for the local National Health Service. We understand that the Emergency Department at Cheltenham General Hospital remains consultant-led between 8am and 8pm and nurse-led overnight. Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is not currently planning to consult on changes to this service.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what national guidance exists on safe discharge practices for mental health inpatients at risk of suicide.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Planning for discharge should start at admission and continue throughout a patient’s stay, with responsible agencies collaborating from an early stage to ensure safe and timely discharge, appropriate community support, and effective section 117 aftercare where applicable. Statutory guidance on discharge from mental health hospitals was published in 2024 under the National Health Service Act 2006. It emphasises the importance of communication and collaboration between responsible agencies to ensure the patient’s safe and timely discharge and continued care and support after hospital.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has also published guidance on safe discharge practices for mental health inpatients at risk of suicide which is available at the following link:
The Mental Health Act 2025 also strengthens decision-making around discharge by requiring responsible clinicians to consult another professional before discharging a patient from the act, and by introducing statutory care and treatment plans, including discharge planning. These reforms are intended to support more robust discharge decisions, improve patient involvement, and help ensure that appropriate support is in place following discharge.
Finally, the Staying safe from suicide guidance published last year by NHS England means all mental health practitioners must align their practice to the latest evidence in understanding and managing suicide. The guidance is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/staying-safe-from-suicide/
An accompanying e-learning package is available to all NHS and non-NHS mental health staff.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the extent of commissioning gaps in specialist autism mental health services across Integrated Care Systems.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Independent Review into the prevalence and support for mental health conditions, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and autism, led by Professor Peter Fonagy, was published on 9 October, providing analysis and recommendations across a wide range of issues, including the current provision of services in relation to autism and mental health.
The Government issued an initial response on the day of publication, available at the link below, but we will set out the full action we are taking in response to the review recommendations in our new Mental Health Strategy, to be published later this year. The Government also remains fully committed to developing and publishing a revised cross-Government autism strategy in line with the Autism Act 2009. We will engage on the development of the revised autism strategy, including on whether the scope of the autism strategy should be extended to cover ADHD.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-pledges-earlier-support-to-tackle-mental-health-crises
The Government recently announced a major expansion of mental health support within the community, with £187 million allocated for 100 community mental health centres, and £156 million for 59 mental health emergency departments.
In addition, people of all ages experiencing a mental health crisis can access support through NHS 111 by selecting the mental health option. This provides access to mental health support and advice, including for children and young people, and can help people access appropriate local services when they need urgent support.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of current NHS crisis response provision for patients experiencing acute mental health crises.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Independent Review into the prevalence and support for mental health conditions, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and autism, led by Professor Peter Fonagy, was published on 9 October, providing analysis and recommendations across a wide range of issues, including the current provision of services in relation to autism and mental health.
The Government issued an initial response on the day of publication, available at the link below, but we will set out the full action we are taking in response to the review recommendations in our new Mental Health Strategy, to be published later this year. The Government also remains fully committed to developing and publishing a revised cross-Government autism strategy in line with the Autism Act 2009. We will engage on the development of the revised autism strategy, including on whether the scope of the autism strategy should be extended to cover ADHD.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-pledges-earlier-support-to-tackle-mental-health-crises
The Government recently announced a major expansion of mental health support within the community, with £187 million allocated for 100 community mental health centres, and £156 million for 59 mental health emergency departments.
In addition, people of all ages experiencing a mental health crisis can access support through NHS 111 by selecting the mental health option. This provides access to mental health support and advice, including for children and young people, and can help people access appropriate local services when they need urgent support.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department plans to introduce national standards for autism-informed mental health care.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Independent Review into the prevalence and support for mental health conditions, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and autism, led by Professor Peter Fonagy, was published on 9 October, providing analysis and recommendations across a wide range of issues, including the current provision of services in relation to autism and mental health.
The Government issued an initial response on the day of publication, available at the link below, but we will set out the full action we are taking in response to the review recommendations in our new Mental Health Strategy, to be published later this year. The Government also remains fully committed to developing and publishing a revised cross-Government autism strategy in line with the Autism Act 2009. We will engage on the development of the revised autism strategy, including on whether the scope of the autism strategy should be extended to cover ADHD.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-pledges-earlier-support-to-tackle-mental-health-crises
The Government recently announced a major expansion of mental health support within the community, with £187 million allocated for 100 community mental health centres, and £156 million for 59 mental health emergency departments.
In addition, people of all ages experiencing a mental health crisis can access support through NHS 111 by selecting the mental health option. This provides access to mental health support and advice, including for children and young people, and can help people access appropriate local services when they need urgent support.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce waiting times for autism diagnostic assessments for primary school-aged children.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The independent review into the prevalence and support for mental health conditions, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and autism, led by Professor Peter Fonagy, was published on 9 October, providing analysis and recommendations across a wide range of issues relating to the current provision of services in this area.
The Government issued an initial response on the day of publication, available at the link below, but we will set out the full action we are taking in response to the review recommendations in our new Mental Health Strategy to be published later this year, which will be relevant to the issues raised by the Hon Member:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-pledges-earlier-support-to-tackle-mental-health-crises
The Government remains fully committed to developing and publishing a revised cross-Government autism strategy in line with the Autism Act 2009. We will engage on the development of the revised autism strategy, including on whether the scope of the autism strategy should be extended to cover ADHD.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to improve post-diagnosis support and ongoing care for people diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease or dementia.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Hon. Member to the D100: Pathway Assessment Tool, which is available at the following link:
This self-assessment tool has been mapped to the key themes of the Well Pathway for Dementia, Preventing Well, Diagnosing Well, Supporting Well, Living Well, and Dying Well. Under Diagnosing Well, this tool recommends that people with a dementia diagnosis have had their care and support plan reviewed in the preceding 12 months.
We will deliver the first ever Modern Service Framework for Frailty and Dementia to deliver rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. We aim to publish the full modern service framework by the end of this calendar year, as recommended by Baroness Casey.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what is the standard framework for follow-up appointments following a dementia diagnosis and at what intervals healthcare providers are expected to make contact with patients to monitor their wellbeing.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Hon. Member to the D100: Pathway Assessment Tool, which is available at the following link:
This self-assessment tool has been mapped to the key themes of the Well Pathway for Dementia, Preventing Well, Diagnosing Well, Supporting Well, Living Well, and Dying Well. Under Diagnosing Well, this tool recommends that people with a dementia diagnosis have had their care and support plan reviewed in the preceding 12 months.
We will deliver the first ever Modern Service Framework for Frailty and Dementia to deliver rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. We aim to publish the full modern service framework by the end of this calendar year, as recommended by Baroness Casey.