Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of changes to safe staffing levels in mental health services on patient safety; whether the Department has revised its definition of safe staffing levels in response to workforce shortages; and what steps he is taking to ensure that staffing standards are maintained at levels that protect both patient safety and staff wellbeing.

No assessment has been made. NHS England is currently updating guidance on how trusts should set their staffing levels, via the Developing Workforce Safeguards and Safe Staffing in Mental Health Services 2018 framework, to reflect current evidence and operations. Staffing any service and any shift should be built around the needs of patients which should be the aim of all National Health Service providers.

Guidance on safe staffing levels also specifies that every NHS organisation should have a strategic workforce plan which is discussed and agreed at the trust board level and should also have escalation processes to cover staffing shortages or changes.