Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to support healthcare professionals at Basingstoke Hospital following the declaration of a critical incident in 2026.

Local employers across the National Health Service have arrangements in place to support staff, including occupational health provision, employee support programmes, and a focus on healthy working environments. At a national level, National Health Service staff have access to the SHOUT helpline for crisis support alongside the National Staff Mental Health Treatment Service (Practitioner Health) for more complex mental health and wellbeing support, including trauma and addiction.

On 3 June 2026, we introduced a series of staff standards for modern employment in the NHS covering issues that are important to staff such as health and wellbeing, tackling racism, preventing and reducing violence, and promoting flexible working. The standards are mandatory and will be measured through the NHS Oversight Framework to ensure much stronger board accountability for staff experience.