§ Tim LoughtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what training is available to NHS staff responding to the mental health needs of(a) current and (b) former servicemen and women. [101074]
§ Jacqui SmithThe mental health needs of current servicemen and women are met under the auspices of the Ministry of Defence, who are also responsible for ensuring that military and medical personnel receive appropriate training. The national health service provides services, by trained staff, to former service personnel alongside the general public according to their needs. Recent additional investment in mental health services and a comprehensive programme of modernisation will ensure that all those who have mental health needs are able to access appropriate treatment more quickly. Further information about this is available on the Department of Health web site at www.doh.gov.uk/mentalhealth. Additional guidance for general practitioners first issued following the events in the USA on 11 September 2001 was re-issued last year; this specifically draws attention to the needs of service personnel.