Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether plans to implement the NHS Long Term Plan in respect of mental health will be affected by the covid-19 outbreak.

There is broad consensus that there will be an increase in demand for mental health services as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. Modelling is underway to understand the implications of this in more detail, involving the Department, NHS England and NHS Improvement, Public Health England and sector experts. This will inform our approach to delivery and transformation of mental health services and ensure an agile, responsive approach focusing on key priorities for the population.

In this context, we remain committed to achieving our NHS Long Term Plan ambitions for service transformation and expansion, backed by investment of at least £2.3 billion of extra funding for mental health by 2023-24.