Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Answer of 29 April 2021 to Question 186168 on Kidney Diseases: Health Services, what plans his Department has to update the adult renal service specification.

NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSE/I) Specialised Commissioning is undertaking a National Adult Renal Services Transformation Programme (RSTP). The RSTP has identified psychosocial support within renal services as a key theme for improvement and will consider the service model for adult renal services, including whether any amendments to the service specifications are required. Further updates on this work will be made available as the programme develops. The service specification does acknowledge the significant impact that renal failure can have on an individual’s mental health and advises that service providers should offer patients access to social worker advice and psychology services.

In March 2021 we launched the Mental Health Recovery Action Plan, backed by an additional £500 million for 2021/22, to ensure that we have the right mental health support in place over the next year. We remain committed to our ambitions in the NHS Long Term Plan to expand and transform mental health services in England and to investing an additional £2.3 billion a year in mental health services by 2023/24.