Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what arrangements mental health and NHS trusts have in place to provide mental health care when no mental health care beds are available.

The Department does not have arrangements for bed management as this is the responsibility of local commissioners and providers.

However, the Government has made it clear that beds must always be available for those that need them.

Hospital, step-down and community services should be commissioned at a level that allows for beds to be readily and locally available in response to a person in urgent need, as required by statute.

As to arrangements in place between mental health trusts when no beds are available, this is a matter for local commissioners and providers.

This is underpinned by the Government’s legislation on party esteem for the first time, and significant investment in mental health services.