Thank you for contacting me about Leukaemia Care’s #WatchWaitWorry campaign.
I fully recognise that the Covid-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the 13,000 people currently living with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia (CLL) on Watch and Wait.
Leukaemia Care have rightly highlighted the need to better support patients who have been waiting longer for treatment during this period, particularly around managing mental health.
In response to the millions of patients awaiting elective treatment, NHS England has recently launched the My Planned Care platform to provide patients with more information specific to a range of conditions to enable patients to support their own health whilst waiting. I understand the platform will also host local support information developed within each NHS Trust.
I also hope that it provides some reassurance that the Government has recognised the impact of the pandemic on mental health more broadly, providing £2.3 billion of funding each year for these services, plus an additional £500 million of funding allocated in 2021/22 to support the Mental Health Recovery Action Plan.
Thank you for contacting me about this campaign.