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 effect of the covid-19 outbreak on the mental health of healthcare workers.

Supporting the mental health of health workers is a priority for the Government, particularly during this unprecedented pandemic. NHS England and NHS Improvement have put in place a comprehensive package of health and wellbeing services for National Health Service staff, including helplines for counselling and support and free access to well-being apps.

The NHS People Plan published in July is focused on the wellbeing of the NHS workforce. As part of this offer, £15 million is being invested to strengthen mental health support for NHS staff. This funding will be used to set up a first wave of mental health hubs that will provide outreach and assessment services to help frontline staff receive rapid access to mental health services. The NHS also funds NHS Practitioner Health, which provides confidential mental health services for doctors and dentists.