Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what additional mental health support his Department is making available to (a) frontline workers, (b) people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities and (c) young people as covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

We have ensured comprehensive packages of emotional and psychological support are available to all social care and National Health Service staff, building on existing support. This includes free access to a confidential helpline operated by Samaritans.

Recent reviews have confirmed the disparity of the impact and risks that COVID-19 has on those from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds. We have set out our intention to take forward further work under the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Equalities (Kemi Badenoch MP) and through the Prime Minister’s Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities. NHS England and NHS Improvement are working closely with BAME experts and others to encourage timely access to NHS mental health services and improve BAME people’s experience of these services.

NHS children and young people’s mental health services have remained open throughout the pandemic and have deployed digital tools to connect with young people and provide ongoing support. We have published guidance to parents and carers on children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing on the GOV.UK and Every Mind Matters websites and we have provided additional funding of £5 million for mental health charities to support adults and children, including those from a BAME background, as well as a further £4.2 million, as part of the Government’s United Kingdom-wide £750 million package of support for the voluntary sector.