Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent steps he has taken to (a) alleviate the work pressures on mental health staff working in the NHS and (b) ensure that such workers receive effective support and care in the event of mental health illness.
Answered by Jackie Doyle-Price
Employers are responsible for taking steps to alleviate the work pressures on mental health staff working in the National Health Service and ensuring they receive effective support and care in the event of mental health illness.
The Government recognises the work pressures NHS staff including mental health staff are under and is proposing to do more to support trusts in alleviating these pressures by, for example, offering NHS staff more opportunities for flexible working, quicker access to mental health services as well as tackling bullying and violence against NHS staff. These initiatives are in addition to NHS England’s NHS Healthy Workforce programme which includes incentives for employers to ensure staff have access to better support for their physical and mental health and wellbeing such as mindfulness apps and mental health talking therapies.
The recently published ‘Stepping forward to 2020/21: The mental health workforce plan for England1 recognises the need to support NHS staff, including those working in mental health. The plan proposes that ‘Thriving at Work2’, the recently published review by Paul Farmer, CEO of Mind and Lord Stevenson, about mental health and employers and should form the basis for Board discussions. This will enable NHS organisations to better support their own staff and increase awareness around mental health issues amongst the workforce. The expectation is that all the recommendations within the mental health workforce plan will be implemented by 2020/21.
The Department continues to commission NHS Employers to support the NHS in improving staff health and wellbeing through advice, guidance and good practice including, for example, their ‘How are you feeling NHS? Toolkit3’ which should help staff check their own emotional wellbeing or speak to and support colleagues with theirs.
Notes:
1https://www.hee.nhs.uk/our-work/person-centred-care/mental-health/mental-health-workforce-plan
2https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/thriving-at-work-a-review-of-mental-health-and-employers
3http://www.nhsemployers.org/howareyoufeelingnhs
Asked by: Jo Platt (Labour (Co-op) - Leigh)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many NHS workers left their positions due to workplace stress in each of the last seven years.
Answered by Philip Dunne
The Department does not collect data on the number of National Health Service workers leaving their position due to stress. Employers across the NHS are responsible for the physical and mental health and wellbeing of their staff.
Trusts are being supported to improve their staff mental health and reduce their stress through NHS England’s “Commissioning for Quality and Innovation” incentive scheme which is encouraging trusts to provide quick access to mental health support services including, for example, mindfulness apps and mental health talking therapies.
The recently published ‘Stepping forward to 2020/21: The mental health workforce plan for England1 recognises the need to support NHS staff. The plan proposes that the Paul Farmer and Lord Stevenson review of mental health and employers – ‘Thriving at Work2’ should form the basis for Board discussions about how NHS organisations can better support their own staff and increase awareness around mental health issues amongst the workforce. The expectation is that all the recommendations within the mental health workforce plan will be implemented by 2020/21.
The Department continues to commission NHS Employers to support the NHS in improving staff health and wellbeing through advice, guidance and good practice including, for example, their ‘How are you feeling NHS? Toolkit3’ which should help staff check their own emotional wellbeing or speak to and support colleagues with theirs.
Notes:
1https://www.hee.nhs.uk/our-work/person-centred-care/mental-health/mental-health-workforce-plan
2https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/thriving-at-work-a-review-of-mental-health-and-employers
3http://www.nhsemployers.org/howareyoufeelingnhs
Asked by: Marquess of Lothian (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any statistics demonstrating whether the practice of mindfulness increases productivity and promotes well-being.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
The Government does not collect data on the practice of mindfulness on productivity and well-being.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommends mindfulness as a way to prevent depression in people who have had three or more bouts of depression in the past.
The What Works Centre for Wellbeing has found that mindfulness training can have a positive impact on wellbeing. Their report, learning at work and wellbeing, is attached.
Asked by: Chris Ruane (Labour - Vale of Clwyd)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many mindfulness-based interventions for repeat episode depression were approved in each year for which data is available.
Answered by Jackie Doyle-Price
The information requested is not available.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of training therapists involved in the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme to deliver mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for recurrent depression.
Answered by Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford
Mindfulness-based cognitive behavioural therapy is a specific National Institute for Health and Care Excellence-approved treatment available through Improving Access to Psychological Therapies services. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy is not currently included in core training for Improving Access to Psychological Therapies practitioners as a relapse prevention treatment, but is under consideration by NHS England.
Asked by: Nic Dakin (Labour - Scunthorpe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of measures in place for GPs to be updated on new research and treatment guidance for the use of (a) anti-depressants and (b) mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for repeat episode depression.
Answered by David Mowat
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence refreshed its Clinical Guideline CG90 Depression in adults: recognition and management in April 2016. This includes treatment guidance on the range of approved interventions including mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, and anti-depressants.
General practitioners are responsible for maintaining their continuing professional development, ensuring that they can provide high quality care to all patients.
Health Education England, through its local offices, has a role in ensuring employers remain committed to continuing professional development and in developing the overall strategy for workforce skills and development in their areas.
Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what measures his Department has in place to support those of its staff who have mental health problems.
Answered by Ben Gummer
The Cabinet Office is committed to helping its employees experiencing mental health problems and has a range of support services in place.
The Cabinet Office has signed up to the Time to Change pledge on mental health and our Employee Assistance Programme provides online support, counselling and a 24/7 telephone service.
Our Occupational Health Service helps line managers support employees with their mental health. The Department has also established a Listening Service, a confidential helpline resourced by staff who have been trained in active listening and emotional support.
The Department provides access to training for example in mindfulness and resilience. Cabinet Office staff are also supported by the central well-being service and staff networks (such as the WorkWell group and disability network), and the Department takes part in awareness campaigns.
The Cabinet Office provides a central well-being service to other departments including:
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to her Oral Answer of 4 July 2016 to Question 905617, on Mindfulness in Schools, when she plans to publish the results of the national survey.
Answered by Edward Timpson
The survey will provide the first nationally representative assessment of activities carried out by schools and colleges to support their pupils’ and students’ mental health and development of character traits.
The fieldwork for the survey has now begun and the Department expects to publish the results early in 2017.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much has been spent on mindfulness in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in each year since 2010.
Answered by Edward Timpson
The Department for Education does not hold information about the amount of money spent on mindfulness in primary or secondary schools.
Schools are free to provide the support they feel is most appropriate for their pupils, based on their pupils’ needs.
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what his Department's wellness strategy is.
Answered by Matt Hancock
The Cabinet Office takes the well-being of its employees seriously and provides a range of support, including the recent launch of the Cabinet Office Listening Service, resourced by staff who have been trained in active listening and emotional support. The service can provide upfront support to Cabinet Office staff dealing directly or indirectly with specific issues in their personal or working life or to help them to cope with mental health issues of any kind including depression, anxiety or stress. Listeners can also signpost individuals onto other relevant services such as the external Employee Assistant Programme which offers counselling, impartial advice and access to online health and wellness related resources.
The department has established an employee led WorkWell community to further develop and implement a strategy for wellness. Progress to date includes establishing resilience training for senior leaders and their teams, signing up to the Time to Change pledge on mental health, providing access to coaching and training in skills to improve wellbeing such as mindfulness. WorkWell are also seeking to increase awareness of opportunities to improve physical wellbeing at work including provision of on-site health checks.