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 trends in the level of (a) staff take-up and (b) trends in staff feedback to the mental health support offered to NHS England staff teams as the closure of NHS England takes place.

In addition to the routine review of mental health services, and specifically the employee assistance and occupational health services which highlight needs of colleagues that are mental health related, the engagement level for both services is tracked. Trends in the level of colleague uptake of services, by type and satisfaction levels, and trends in staff feedback to the mental health support offered to NHS England colleagues is monitored and reviewed through established governance arrangements, including feedback provided from trade union partnerships and staff networks, to ensure that the provision is meeting existing demand and forecast projections.

An expert panel has been recently engaged to assess the trends, including the level of colleague uptake and feedback, to make recommendations within the context of the closure of NHS England and potential impact on colleagues. The panel will inform decisions on whether further support for colleagues should be put in place in 2026/27.