Mental Health: Debt Respite Scheme
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that NHS staff are not able to falsely certify documents later used in applications for a Mental Health Breathing Space.
Answered by Dr Zubir Ahmed
Access to Mental Health Crisis Breathing Space can only be started if an Approved Mental Health Professional confirms that the individual is receiving mental health crisis treatment. The debt adviser must also seek confirmation from a nominated point of contact every 30 days that the individual is still receiving eligible mental health crisis treatment in order for the individual to continue to receive the moratorium’s protections.
With regard to National Health Service staff, regulators set standards of conduct that regulated health professionals must uphold. These already emphasise the importance of good record keeping. Falsifying patient records could be considered serious misconduct and may lead to a professional's registration being restricted or revoked.
We continue to keep the Breathing Space Scheme under review to ensure it is operating as intended.
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