To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the possible benefits to the national health and police services of encouraging good leadership and psychological wellbeing within those services.

The Department considers good leadership and psychological wellbeing within the National Health Service in England is essential to delivering excellent patient care. This is the responsibility of each individual NHS organisation.

Good leadership is required at every level of the NHS. Trusts which the Care Quality Commission considers to have outstanding leadership are much more likely to be rated outstanding overall; effective, values driven leadership delivers high-quality care. The NHS Leadership Academy provides development and support to people working in the NHS and aims to improve leadership behaviours and skills across the service.

In respect of psychological wellbeing, NHS England is leading an initiative to improve the overall health and wellbeing of NHS staff which includes, for example, access to mental health talking therapies. They have also made available Commissioning for Quality and Innovation incentive payments to encourage trusts to improve the physical and mental health support provided to their staff.

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 online-only How are you feeling NHS? Toolkit which should help staff check their own emotional wellbeing or speak to and support colleagues with theirs.

The Department has not made an assessment of leadership and wellbeing in the police service.