Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps is he taking to ensure the provision of wellbeing services to support the (a) physical and (b) mental health of (i) NHS staff and (ii) people contracted to undertake NHS work.

The Government is committed to supporting the 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 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 has developed a range 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 England has also published a ‘Growing Occupational Health and Wellbeing Together’ strategy. This sets out a roadmap for the NHS and partner organisations to work together to develop and invest in occupational health and wellbeing services for NHS staff over the next five years.