Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help reduce stigma around mental health in Yeovil constituency.

The Government is committed to creating an environment that promotes good mental health, prevents people from developing mental health problems, reduces stigma, and improves the lives of young people living with a mental health problem, including those in the Yeovil constituency.

The 10-Year Health Plan sets out ambitious plans to transform mental health services to improve access and treatment, and to promote good mental health and wellbeing for the nation. This includes improving assertive outreach, investment into mental health emergency departments, increasing access to evidence-based digital interventions, and providing mental health support teams in schools and colleges

In Somerset more widely, the Open Mental Health Alliance is a partnership between local voluntary organizations and the National Health Service, created to improve the way people in Somerset receive support with their mental health by integrating teams across mental health services and acute hospitals and by providing access to a number of specialist services. These include a range of third sector bodies offering a single point of contact, enabling patients to access the appropriate assistance, be it care in the community, talking therapy, community mental health, or acute services.