Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps his Department has taken to reduce waiting times for hospital appointments for mental health patients in Sutton Coldfield constituency.
We have committed at least a further £2.3 billion a year to mental health services by 2023/24, and, through the NHS Long Term Plan, the National Health Service commits to testing and rolling out waiting time standards for adults in selected areas.
In line with the aims of the Plan, Birmingham and Solihull Clinical Commissioning Group is:
- Putting in place specialist perinatal mental health teams;
- Increasing access to psychological therapies for depression and anxiety;
- Placing mental health professionals in general practitioner (GP) practices; and
- Opening crisis cafes to support people in a mental health crisis.