Written questions by Hayes.

If he will have discussions with nursing organisations on the nurse registration fee requirement under article 9 of the Nursing and Midwifery Order 2001.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is the independent regulator of nurses and midwives in the United Kingdom, and nursing associates in England. The Government has no current plans to amend the Nursing and Midwifery Order 2001, to abolish the requirement for NMC registrants to pay a registration fee.The UK's model of healthcare professional regulation is founded on the principle of regulators operating independently from the Government. All registered health and social care professions in the UK pay an annual registration fee to their regulatory body. Being funded by registrant fees enables the NMC to maintain its independence, allowing it to take action if it identifies risks to patient safety or the public’s confidence in the profession.

What assessment has he made of the adequacy of the NHS continuing healthcare programme.

The Department works closely with NHS England, which holds integrated care boards accountable and engages with them to discharge their functions, including via regular and well-established assurance mechanisms.The Department also engages with the wider sector such as the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman and voluntary organisations representing people with lived experience.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of amending article 9 of the Nursing and Midwifery Order 2001 to abolish the registration fee requirement.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is the independent regulator of nurses and midwives in the United Kingdom, and nursing associates in England. The Government has no current plans to amend the Nursing and Midwifery Order 2001, to abolish the requirement for NMC registrants to pay a registration fee.The UK's model of healthcare professional regulation is founded on the principle of regulators operating independently from the Government. All registered health and social care professions in the UK pay an annual registration fee to their regulatory body. Being funded by registrant fees enables the NMC to maintain its independence, allowing it to take action if it identifies risks to patient safety or the public’s confidence in the profession.

What steps he is taking to improve (a) care and (b) treatment for people with Jordan’s Syndrome.

The government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases, such as Jordan’s Syndrome. The UK Rare Diseases Framework sets out four priorities collaboratively developed with the rare disease community: these include better coordination of care and improving access to specialist care, treatments, and drugs. We remain committed to delivering under the Framework and will publish an annual England action plan in 2025 which will report on progress.Jordan’s syndrome is a rare and complex neurodevelopmental disorder and it is important to get a rapid and accurate diagnosis to ensure timely access to treatment and care. Currently NHS England offers genomic testing for two of the genes associated with Jordan’s Syndrome and any healthcare professional can refer their patient for testing based on their clinical indication. The NHS Clinical Genomic Services (CGS) deliver a comprehensive clinical genomic and counselling service and have a key role in providing care and coordinating care being provided by other clinical specialties to patients and their families. As part of the NHS CGS, the patient and their family will access diagnosis, and management relevant to their condition, but also receive support and guidance so that they are able to understand their condition, its implications, and their options in relation to reproduction, screening, prevention and clinical management.

What assessment he has made of the potential implications for his Department's polices of recent trends in levels of unmet need for mental health support.

Lord Darzi’s independent review of the National Health Service in England found that too many people were waiting too long for mental health support from the NHS, with approximately 1 million people waiting for mental health services as of April 2024.As part of our mission to build an NHS that is fit for the future and that is there when people need it, the Government will recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers to reduce delays and provide faster treatment, which will also help ease pressure on busy mental health services. We will also modernise the Mental Health Act, introduce a specialist mental health professional in every school in England, and roll out open access Young Futures hubs in every community.However, we know wider change is needed and we have launched a national conversation, called Change NHS: help build a health service fit for the future, to develop the 10-Year Health Plan. We are inviting people to share their ideas on what needs to change across the health and care system, including:how the NHS could change to deliver high quality care more effectively;how other parts of the health and care system and other organisations in society could change to promote better health and improve the way health and care services work together; andhow individuals and communities could do things differently in the future to improve people’s health.

What steps he has taken to improve children's health.

The Government is committed to raising the healthiest generation of children ever. We have already begun work to ensure that every child has a healthy, happy start to life. To tackle obesity, we have committed to implementing a 9:00pm television watershed and a 24-hour ban on paid-for advertising of less healthy food and drink products, coming into force on 1 October 2025.We will also be introducing the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, to protect future generations from becoming hooked on nicotine. Additionally, to reduce tooth decay in children, we are developing a supervised tooth-brushing scheme for three- to five-year-olds, targeting areas of highest need.To improve children's mental health, we are working to recruit 8,500 additional staff across children and adult mental health services and introduce a specialist mental health professional in every school.

What steps his Department is taking to help tackle misinformation on (a) migrant access to NHS services and (b) the accommodation of asylum seekers.

I refer my Hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 17 October 2024 to Question 8361.

What his planned timetable is for publishing the Mental Health Bill.

The Mental Health Bill will deliver the Government’s commitment to modernise the Mental Health Act 1983. It will give patients enhanced rights and support, whilst maintaining the right balance to ensure that people get the treatment they need when necessary for their own protection, or that of others.However, we recognise the long-standing gap between demand and supply for mental health treatment, which is why we will fix the broken system to ensure we give mental health the same attention and focus as physical health and that people can be confident of accessing high quality mental health support when they need it. The Mental Health Bill will be published when Parliamentary time allows.

If he will make it his policy to reform the Mental Health Act 1983 to ensure that people have an automatic right to (a) assessment and (b) treatment.

The Mental Health Bill will deliver the Government’s commitment to modernise the Mental Health Act 1983. It will give patients enhanced rights and support, whilst maintaining the right balance to ensure that people get the treatment they need when necessary for their own protection, or that of others.However, we recognise the long-standing gap between demand and supply for mental health treatment, which is why we will fix the broken system to ensure we give mental health the same attention and focus as physical health and that people can be confident of accessing high quality mental health support when they need it. The Mental Health Bill will be published when Parliamentary time allows.

What recent progress his Department has made increasing the levels of recruitment of mental heath staff.

The latest data shows that, as of June 2024, there are 152,533 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff in the mental health workforce. This includes only those people who work directly on mental health across National Health Service trusts and other core organisations.June 2024 figures show over 8,800 more FTE staff in the mental workforce compared to June 2023, a 6.1% increase, and over 43,400, or 39.8%, more than since the March 2016 baseline.

What assessment he has made of the impact of the Mental Health Act 1983 on individuals with complex mental health needs.

The independent review: Modernising the Mental Health Act, chaired by Professor Sir Simon Wessely, and published in 2018, provided an assessment of how the Act is working, its impact on those detained under the Act, including individuals with complex needs, and what improvements are needed to make it fit for the 21st century.The Act has an important role in our society, and it is crucial to get the balance right to ensure that people get the support and treatment they need when necessary, for their own protection or that of others. However, we recognise that detention under the Act can be a traumatic experience, and more needs to be done to improve this.The Mental Health Bill announced in the King’s Speech will deliver the Government’s commitment to modernise the Mental Health Act 1983. The Bill will give patients greater choice, autonomy, enhanced rights and support, and ensure everyone is treated with dignity and respect throughout treatment. The Bill will be published when Parliamentary time allows.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Mental Health Act 1983 on black people.

We know that rates of detention under the Mental Health Act 1983 for Black people were more than three times higher than that for White people in 2023/24, with use of Community Treatment Orders for Black people being seven times higher than for White people. Black people were also the most likely to be subject to repeated detention, with 20.1 per cent of this group being detained more than once. More information is available in the NHS England Mental Health Services Monthly Statistics, Performance June 2024, which are available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/mental-health-services-monthly-statistics/performance-june-2024The NHS Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework arose out of Professor Sir Simon Wessely’s Independent Review: Modernising the Mental Health Act, and became mandatory for all mental health trusts in the National Health Service from April 2024. It supports mental health trusts to improve access, experience and outcomes and reduce disparities for people from ethnic minority groups. All mental health trusts will be required to have a framework in place by March 2025.The Mental Health Bill announced in the King’s Speech will deliver the Government’s manifesto commitment to modernise the Mental Health Act 1983. It will give patients greater choice, autonomy, enhanced rights and support, and ensure everyone is treated with dignity and respect throughout treatment. The Bill will be published when Parliamentary time allows.Pilots are currently underway to test models of Culturally Appropriate Advocacy, which provide tailored support to hundreds of people from ethnic minorities to better understand their rights when detained under the Act.

What steps he is taking to improve mental health hospitals.

The Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) is currently conducting an investigation into mental health inpatient settings to identify ways we can improve mental health care for people with severe mental illness, protect patients and the public, and create a safe working environment for staff. The HSSIB’s findings will be published on a rolling basis from the autumn to drive improvements in patient safety and National Health Service mental health services, and the investigation is expected to conclude by the end of March 2025.Additionally, NHS England is taking forward a new Mental Health, Learning Disability and Autism Inpatient Quality Transformation Programme to support cultural change and a reimagined model of care for the future across all NHS-funded mental health, learning disability, and autism inpatient settings. Local health systems are currently developing three-year plans to localise and realign inpatient care in line with this vision.To improve the mental health estate, over £400 million has been spent between 2020/21 and 2023/24 to replace dormitories in mental health facilities with single ensuite bedrooms. 41 schemes had been completed by May 2024 replacing 657 beds out of 1355.As part of phase 1 of the Spending Review £26 million of capital investment has been announced to open new mental health crisis centres.Our 10-Year Health Plan will set out a bold agenda to deliver on the three big shifts needed to move healthcare from hospital to the community, from analogue to digital and from sickness to prevention and we are currently gathering views from members of the public, staff and organisations on their experiences and ideas to reform the NHS and make it fit for the future.

What steps his Department is taking to increase the availability of specialist mental health support in Bournemouth.

NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board is responsible for providing health and care services, including specialist mental health support, to meet the needs of the people of Bournemouth.Nationally we recognise that many people in Bournemouth and across England are not getting the support or care they deserve, which is why we will fix the system to ensure that mental health is given the same attention and focus as physical health, so that people can be confident in accessing high quality mental health support when they need it, wherever they live.

What steps his Department is taking to help improve the integration of mental health services into existing NHS provision.

We will ensure that we give mental health the same attention and focus as physical health, so that people can be confident in accessing high quality mental health support when they need it.We know wider change is needed and we have launched a national conversation, called Change NHS: help build a health service fit for the future, to develop the 10-Year Health Plan. We are inviting people to share their ideas on what needs to change across the health and care system, including: how the National Health Service could change to deliver high quality care more effectively; how other parts of the health and care system and other organisations in society could change to promote better health and improve the way health and care services work together; and how individuals and communities could do things differently in the future to improve people’s health.

What steps his Department is taking to reduce mental health waiting lists.

It is unacceptable that too many people are not receiving the mental health care they need, and we know that waits for mental health services are far too long. That is why we will recruit 8,500 additional mental health workers across both adult, and children and young people’s mental health services.

What steps his Department has taken to deliver specialist mental health professionals in every school.

The Department is working across the Government to consider how to deliver our commitment of a specialist mental health professional in every school. We need to ensure any support meets the needs of young people, teachers, parents, and carers. This includes considering the role of existing programmes of support with evidence of a positive impact, such as Mental Health Support Teams in schools and colleges.

If he will make it his policy to reform the Mental Health Act 1983 to (a) abolish community treatment orders, (b) ensure people to have a right to appeal decisions, (c) ensure patients in a mental health hospital to automatically get an advocate and (d) ensure young people are not placed on adult wards.

The Mental Health Bill announced in the King’s Speech will deliver the Government’s commitment to modernise the Mental Health Act 1983. The reforms will strengthen the voice of patients by adding statutory weight to patients’ rights to be involved with planning for their care, and to make choices regarding the treatment they receive.The reforms will also strengthen and improve the statutory roles which protect and support those who are detained, by introducing a new statutory role, the nominated person, who is chosen by the patient, to replace the nearest relative and extend access to Independent Mental Health Advocates to informal patients and introduce an opt-out system for formal patients.

What steps his Department has taken to improve mental health support for veterans.

NHS England commissions Op COURAGE, the integrated mental health and wellbeing service for veterans. Veterans can self-refer to Op COURAGE. The service has been designed to support veterans from all areas, including rural areas, and is delivered from a range of locations, including National Health Service trusts, general practices, Poppy Shops, veteran hubs, and drop-in centres. Elements of the service may also be provided online if this is clinically appropriate.Integrated care boards are responsible for providing health and care services to meet the needs of their local populations, taking into account local considerations such as access to services in rural areas. The Government recognises that too many people are not receiving the mental health care they need, and that waits for mental health services are too long. The Government is determined to change that and ensure mental health has the same focus as physical health, to help people in rural areas to access high quality mental health support when they need it.

What steps his Department is taking to tackle misinformation relating to (a) migrant access to NHS services and (b) accommodation of asylum seekers.

As my Rt. Hon. friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology said on 9 September 2024, the Online Safety Act will be the Government’s key tool in combatting online mis- and disinformation.The Department recognises the importance of reducing barriers to services for migrants, and encourages these groups to access the National Health Services’ they are entitled to. The Government has published the Migrant Health Guide, which sets out guidance on the services which migrants are entitled to receive. This guidance is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/migrant-health-guideThe Department of Health and Social Care works with the Home Office to ensure asylum seekers have access to health care. The Home Office will ensure that the asylum system operates fairly, and processes claims quickly.The Department of Health and Social Care, along with the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, the UK Health Security Agency, NHS England, the Home Office, and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, are in the final stages of agreeing the principles, objectives, and priorities of a National Partnership Agreement which will set out the common aspirations to support the health and wellbeing needs of people seeking asylum. They will also support local systems, like integrated care boards, local authorities, voluntary, community, and social enterprises, and others, in delivering these locally. NHS England has been working with the Home Office and the Ministry of Defence to support access to healthcare services for people on protection and resettlement routes, as well as people seeking asylum. NHS England has also worked with the Home Office to improve support during the Move On period, when people are granted leave to remain, and any change of accommodation.