Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he is taking steps to provide mental health support for NHS staff.

It is a priority for this Government to support the mental health and wellbeing of all National Health Service staff. NHS planning guidance for 2023/24 emphasised the need to support staff and has asked systems to refresh their 2022/23 whole system workforce plans to improve staff experience and retention through a systematic focus on all elements of the NHS People Promise.

The NHS People Plan and People Promise set out a comprehensive range of actions to strengthen health and wellbeing, equality and diversity, culture and leadership and increase opportunities for flexible working.

NHS England have developed a number of health and wellbeing initiatives which include a wellbeing guardian role, a focus on healthy working environments, empowering line managers to hold meaningful conversations with staff to discuss their wellbeing, and a comprehensive emotional and psychological health and wellbeing support package.

NHS staff can also access NHS Practitioner Health, a national support service for staff with more complex mental health needs brough about by serious issues such as trauma or addiction.