Health and Social Care

Nadine Dorries Excerpts

Wednesday 12th February 2020 Ministerial Corrections

The following are extracts from the Adjournment debate on Children’s Mental Health Week on 6 February 2020.

[Ms Dorries]

By next year, 70,000 more children and young people will be accessing specialist treatment each year, compared with 2014-15. That equates to 35% of children and young people with a mental health condition, and that is starting from zero.

[Official Report, 6 February 2020, Vol. 671, c. 555.]

Letter of correction from the Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, the hon. Member for Mid Bedfordshire (Ms Dorries):

An error has been identified in my response to the debate.

The correct information should have been:

[Ms Dorries]

By next year, 70,000 more children and young people will be accessing specialist treatment each year, compared with 2014-15. That equates to 35% of children and young people with a mental health condition, and that is starting from around 25%.

[Ms Dorries]

We now have, in almost all A&Es across the country—I think it is 97%—a mental health liaison worker. When somebody—a child or an adult—presents at A&E with a mental health condition, they are now seen by an A&E mental health liaison officer.

[Official Report, 6 February 2020, Vol. 671, c. 557.]

Letter of correction from the Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, the hon. Member for Mid Bedfordshire (Ms Dorries):

A further error has been identified in my response to the debate.

The correct information should have been:

[Ms Dorries]

We now have, in almost all A&Es across the country—I think it is 97%—a mental health liaison worker. When an adult presents at A&E with a mental health condition, they are now seen by an A&E mental health liaison officer.

[Ms Dorries]

We want more mental health nurses. In fact, two weeks ago, I announced that the grant for those who want to work in mental health nursing will be £8,000—they will get the upper tier.

[Official Report, 6 February 2020, Vol. 671, c. 559.]

Letter of correction from the Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, the hon. Member for Mid Bedfordshire (Ms Dorries):

A further error has been identified in my response to the debate.

The correct information should have been:

[Ms Dorries]

We want more mental health nurses. In fact, two weeks ago, I announced that the grant for those who want to work in mental health nursing will be £6,000.

Paterson Inquiry

The following are extracts from questions following the statement on the Paterson Inquiry on 4 February 2020.

[Ms Dorries]

I will say it again: we want people to speak up, we want trusts and the private sector to listen, and then we want to act. It is the case that we can change this culture and let whistleblowers know that we will protect them. We also have a line at the Department for people to ring in on, because we want to hear from them.

[Ms Dorries]

As I say, Paterson practised between 1997 and 2011, and there was quite a long process of reporting and of concerns being raised about his behaviour and his practice. Eventually, somebody listened; I believe that it was a new chief executive at the Spire hospital trust at the time.

[Official Report, 4 February 2020, Vol. 671, c. 208.]

Letter of correction from the Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, the hon. Member for Mid Bedfordshire (Ms Dorries):

Errors have been identified in my responses to questions following my statement.

The correct information should have been:

[Ms Dorries]

I will say it again: we want people to speak up, we want trusts and the private sector to listen, and then we want to act. It is the case that we can change this culture and let whistleblowers know that we will protect them. We also have a dedicated National Guardian phone line for people to ring in on, because we want to hear from them.

[Ms Dorries]

As I say, Paterson practised between 1997 and 2011, and there was quite a long process of reporting and of concerns being raised about his behaviour and his practice. Eventually, somebody listened; I believe that it was a new chief executive at the Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust at the time.