Questioner: Daisy Cooper
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of re-opening the covid-19 vaccination centre application process to community pharmacies which have the capacity to deliver at least 100 vaccines per week.
Answer (Nadhim Zahawi)
NHS England and NHS Improvement wrote to pharmacies on 27 November 2020, explaining the process to apply to be designated as a vaccination service. This followed the Primary Care Network (PCN) designation process to map pharmacies to the gaps left where there is no PCN service or where the PCN offer is not enough, taking into consideration accessibility, especially in deprived populations.
There are key requirements, which must be met by all designated sites, together with other considerations. These include facilities, availability of workforce, equity of access, geographical coverage, and the total number of sites that can be accommodated within the COVID-19 vaccine supply chain. Vaccinations will be provided to eligible cohorts from a variety of providers, who will be required to administer at least 1,000 doses of vaccine each week, in a way that minimises waste, and makes best use of the available supply.
Questioner: Jim Shannon
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he is taking steps to work with pharmacies to deliver the covid-19 vaccine rollout.
Answer (Nadhim Zahawi)
Since 14 January 2021, community pharmacies in England started to offer the COVID-19 vaccination service, with more pharmacies joining over the coming weeks. These sites have been designated by NHS England and NHS Improvement after an application process. They fill the gaps left where there is no Primary Care Network (PCN) or where the PCN offer is not enough, taking into consideration accessibility, especially in more deprived areas.
The Department, NHS England and NHS Improvement, and community pharmacy representative bodies will be working together to establish how community pharmacies’ role could be expanded further in the vaccination programme.
Questioner: Daniel Kawczynski
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what financial support is available to NHS Bank staff who have to self-isolate but are not entitled to Statutory Sick Pay.
Answer (Helen Whately)
Guidance published by NHS Employers states that National Health Service bank staff should receive full pay for all pre-booked bank shifts they would have worked had they not needed to self-isolate due to COVID-19. Trusts may also choose to pay bank staff in self-isolation on a ‘look back’ approach, where a bank staff member’s past earnings over a reference period would be used as a basis for calculating full pay.
Where a bank staff member needs to self-isolate and there is no way to assess full pay, due to staff not having any pre-booked shifts or insufficient previous earnings, trusts will need to assess what a reasonable benchmark would be to set full pay at. Guidance issued by the Government to employers states that they should use their usual methods for calculating full pay using agreed processes at a local level and in line with NHS terms and conditions.
Questioner: Jeremy Hunt
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of NHS staff have experienced bullying and harassment in the workplace in each year from 2010 to 2020.
Answer (Helen Whately)
The following table shows the percentage of National Health Service provider trust staff, who responded to the NHS Staff Survey, who reported experiencing at least one incident of harassment, bullying or abuse in the previous 12 months. Prior to 2015 the format of questions posed in the survey changed and as such a longer timeseries is not possible.
| Year | % of NHS staff who have experienced at least one incident of harassment, bullying or abuse at work from patients / service users, their relatives or other members of the public in the last 12 months | % of NHS staff who have experienced at least one incident of harassment, bullying or abuse at work from managers in the last 12 months | % of NHS staff who have experienced at least one incident of harassment, bullying or abuse at work from other colleagues in the last 12 months |
| 2015 | 28.8 | 13.5 | 18.1 |
| 2016 | 28.1 | 12.9 | 17.8 |
| 2017 | 28.3 | 12.8 | 18.0 |
| 2018 | 28.5 | 13.2 | 19.1 |
| 2019 | 28.5 | 12.3 | 19.0 |
Source: Weighted NHS Staff Survey Results for NHS trusts in England- February 2020 NHS England
The annual NHS Staff survey asks NHS staff in England about their experiences of working for their respective NHS organisations. For the 2019 survey, over 1.1 million NHS employees in England were invited to participate in the survey between September and December 2019 and there was a 48% response rate.
Questioner: Scott Benton
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking in response to reports of a lack of post-abortion care in the case of home abortions.
Answer (Helen Whately)
Guidance from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists sets out that healthcare staff caring for women requesting abortion should identify those who require more support in the decision-making process and pathways to additional support, including counselling and social services, should be available. As part of their consultation, clinicians will discuss possible complications with the woman and women will be provided with written advice and information about possible symptoms, including those which would necessitate urgent review. Women have access to a 24 hour telephone helpline should they have any concerns.
Questioner: Mike Amesbury
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of prioritising covid-19 vaccines for foster carers of clinically extremely vulnerable children.
Answer (Nadhim Zahawi)
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) consists of independent experts who advise the Government on which vaccines the United Kingdom should use and provide advice on prioritisation at a population level. For the first phase, the JCVI has advised that the vaccine be given to care home residents and staff, people aged over 80 years old and frontline health and social care workers, then to the rest of the population in order of age and clinical risk factors
Those who are in receipt of a carer’s allowance, or those who are the main carer of an elderly or disabled person whose welfare may be at risk if the carer falls ill, should also be offered vaccination in priority group six.
Questioner: Imran Ahmad Khan
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will (a) prioritise people working on critical infrastructure projects for the covid-19 vaccine and (b) publish a timescale for the rollout of that vaccine to that group of people.
Answer (Nadhim Zahawi)
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) consists of independent experts who advise the Government on which vaccines the United Kingdom should use and provide advice on prioritisation at a population level. For the first phase, the JCVI has advised that the vaccine be given to care home residents and staff, people aged over 80 years old and frontline health and social care workers, then to the rest of the population in order of age and clinical risk factors.
If critical infrastructure workers are captured in phase one due to their age, or clinical risk factors they will be prioritised. Prioritisation decisions for the next phase of delivery are subject to the surveillance and monitoring of data and information from phase one, as well as further input from independent scientific experts, such as the JCVI. Phase two of the programme may include targeted vaccination of those at high risk of exposure and/or those delivering key public services.
Questioner: Imran Ahmad Khan
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will (a) prioritise people working in jobs where maintaining social distancing is not practically possible for the covid-19 vaccine and (b) publish a timescale for the rollout of that vaccine to that group of people.
Answer (Nadhim Zahawi)
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) consists of independent experts who advise the Government on which vaccines the United Kingdom should use and provide advice on prioritisation at a population level. For the first phase, the JCVI has advised that the vaccine be given to care home residents and staff, people aged over 80 years old and frontline health and social care workers, then to the rest of the population in order of age and clinical risk factors.
If people working in jobs where maintaining social distancing is not practically possible are captured in phase one due to their age, or clinical risk factors they will be prioritised. Prioritisation decisions for the next phase of delivery are subject to the surveillance and monitoring of data and information from phase one, as well as further input from independent scientific experts, such as the JCVI. Phase two of the roll-out may include targeted vaccination of those at high risk of exposure and/or those delivering key public services.
Questioner: Imran Ahmad Khan
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will (a) prioritise firefighters for the covid-19 vaccine and (b) publish a timescale for the rollout of that vaccine to firefighters.
Answer (Nadhim Zahawi)
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) consists of independent experts who advise the Government on which vaccines the United Kingdom should use and provide advice on prioritisation at a population level. For the first phase, the JCVI has advised that the vaccine be given to care home residents and staff, people aged over 80 years old and frontline health and social care workers, then to the rest of the population in order of age and clinical risk factors.
If firefighters are captured in phase one due to their age or clinical risk factors then they will be prioritised. Prioritisation decisions for the next phase of delivery are subject to the surveillance and monitoring of data and information from phase one, as well as further input from independent scientific experts, such as the JCVI. Phase two of the programme may include targeted vaccination of those at high risk of exposure and/or those delivering key public services.
Questioner: Imran Ahmad Khan
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will (a) prioritise people working in frontline logistical services for the covid-19 vaccine and (b) publish a timescale for the rollout of that vaccine to that group of people.
Answer (Nadhim Zahawi)
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) consists of independent experts who advise the Government on which vaccines the United Kingdom should use and provide advice on prioritisation at a population level. For the first phase, the JCVI has advised that the vaccine be given to care home residents and staff, people aged over 80 years old and frontline health and social care workers, then to the rest of the population in order of age and clinical risk factors.
Frontline healthcare workers are staff who have frequent face-to-face clinical contact with patients and who are directly involved in patient care in either secondary or primary care/community settings. Non-clinical ancillary staff who may have social contact with patients but are not directly involved in patient care are also considered frontline healthcare workers. If people working in frontline logistical services for the COVID-19 vaccine fall into these groups, then they will be vaccinated in priority group two.
Questioner: Julian Sturdy
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of including covid-19 mass testing centre staff to the priority list for receiving the covid-19 vaccine alongside frontline NHS staff.
Answer (Nadhim Zahawi)
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) consists of independent experts who advise the Government on which vaccines the United Kingdom should use and provide advice on prioritisation at a population level. For the first phase, the JCVI has advised that the vaccine be given to care home residents and staff, people aged over 80 years old and frontline health and social care workers, then to the rest of the population in order of age and clinical risk factors.
If testing centre staff are captured in phase one due to their age or clinical risk factors, then they will be prioritised accordingly. Prioritisation decisions for the next phase of delivery are subject to the surveillance and monitoring of data and information from phase one, as well as further input from independent scientific experts, such as the JCVI. Phase two may include targeted vaccination of those at high risk of exposure and/or those delivering key public services.
Questioner: Imran Ahmad Khan
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will (a) prioritise people working in the armed forces overseas for the covid-19 vaccine and (b) publish a timescale for the rollout of that vaccine to that group of people.
Answer (Nadhim Zahawi)
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) consists of independent experts who advise the Government on which vaccines the United Kingdom should use and provide advice on prioritisation at a population level. For the first phase, the JCVI has advised that the vaccine be given to care home residents and staff, people aged over 80 years old and frontline health and social care workers, then to the rest of the population in order of age and clinical risk factors.
If military personnel are captured in phase one due to their age or clinical risk factors they will be prioritised. Prioritisation decisions for the next phase of delivery are subject to the surveillance and monitoring of data and information from phase one, as well as further input from independent scientific experts, such as the JCVI. Phase two of the programme may include targeted vaccination of those at high risk of exposure and/or those delivering key public services.
Questioner: Imran Ahmad Khan
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will (a) prioritise people working in the armed forces in the UK for the covid-19 vaccine and (b) publish a timescale for the rollout of that vaccine to that group of people.
Answer (Nadhim Zahawi)
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) consists of independent experts who advise the Government on which vaccines the United Kingdom should use and provide advice on prioritisation at a population level. For the first phase, the JCVI has advised that the vaccine be given to care home residents and staff, people aged over 80 years old and frontline health and social care workers, then to the rest of the population in order of age and clinical risk factors.
If military personnel are captured in phase one due to their age or clinical risk factors they will be prioritised. Prioritisation decisions for the next phase of delivery are subject to the surveillance and monitoring of data and information from phase one, as well as further input from independent scientific experts, such as the JCVI. Phase two of the programme may include targeted vaccination of those at high risk of exposure and/or those delivering key public services.
Questioner: Lord Dubs
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made about the barriers to prescribing Sativex to treat spasticity in people with multiple sclerosis; and what plans they have to work with NHS England and organisations such as the MS Society to address any such barriers.
Answer (Lord Bethell)
The Department has made no recent assessment. However, Departmental officials regularly engage with stakeholders and organisations such as the MS Society, to discuss a range of issues, including concerns relating to access to treatments.
Questioner: Maria Eagle
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether it is his policy to encourage employers to require employees to disable the use of the NHS Test and Trace app at work in non-healthcare settings; and if he will make a statement.
Answer (Helen Whately)
Although there should be no requirement for employees to use the app, employers should not be preventing staff from using it if they wish to.
There are some specific scenarios when users should pause the app’s contact tracing function. For non-health and social care workers these are if the phone is stored in a locker or communal area or if the user is working behind a fixed perspex or equivalent screen.
Questioner: Ian Mearns
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to introduce an exemption to the existing covid-19 regulations to clarify what (a) contact and (b) travel is permitted between a non-cohabiting couple in England, in circumstances where the couple (i) cannot live together and (ii) live in households with other people.
Answer (Nadine Dorries)
If a non-cohabiting couple fulfil the eligibility criteria for a support bubble, they have the choice to form a bubble and can then travel and have contact with each other during this national lockdown. If both partners live with other people, they will not be able to form a support bubble. This is because the formation of a support bubble and therefore the ability to have close contact with those they do not live with, carries transmission risks. As such the eligibility criteria is necessarily limited to smaller households most at risk of isolation.
The Government keeps the social contact restrictions under continual review and will make changes as and when the data and science supports it.
Questioner: Jeremy Hunt
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people have had to sell their homes to pay for care in England in each year from 2010 to 2020.
Answer (Helen Whately)
We do not collect this information centrally.
Questioner: Jeremy Hunt
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of people aged over 65 are paying £100,000 and above for someone’s care.
Answer (Helen Whately)
We do not collect this information centrally.
Questioner: Marsha De Cordova
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his oral contribution of 13 January 2021, Official Report, on a new impactful all-age autism strategy, when in spring he plans to publish that strategy.
Answer (Helen Whately)
We aim to publish this strategy, subject to COVID-19 pressures, at the earliest opportunity in spring 2021.
Questioner: Valerie Vaz
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much public money has been granted to research into epilepsy in each of the last five years.
Answer (Edward Argar)
The Department funds research on health and social care through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). The figures for the NIHR’s epilepsy funding in each of the last five financial years is shown in the following table:
2014/2015 | 2015/2016 | 2016/2017 | 2017/2018 | 2019/2020 |
£2,986,689 | £2,528,262 | £1,561,313 | £2,174,787 | £2,143,181 |
Questioner: Wera Hobhouse
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 11 January 2021 to Question 131380, what the planned timescale is for testing and evaluating the new integrated models of primary and adult community mental health care, including the eight sites that have received additional funding to improve the adult eating disorders pathway.
Answer (Nadine Dorries)
Due to current pressures on the system as a result of the impact of COVID-19, a number of our assurance and evaluation activities have been paused. Timescales relating to the early implementer phase are under review. Implementation learnings from the eight sites which have received additional funding to improve the adult eating disorders pathway are being shared to ensure that the lessons from these early implementer sites are made available. These include peer support sessions to share learnings with each other, as well as national webinars where lessons from these sites are shared with those starting their expansion and transformation from 2021/22.
Questioner: Sarah Owen
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect on the safety of pregnant women of attending work when they cannot do their job from home during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answer (Nadine Dorries)
Advice for pregnant employees was published by the Government, in partnership with the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, The Royal College of Midwives and The Health and Safety Executive on 23 December 2020.
The guidance sets out that if a woman is pregnant and has let their employer know in writing, the employer should carry out a risk assessment. Pregnant women of any gestation should not be required to continue working if this is not supported by the risk assessment.
Women who are 28 weeks pregnant and beyond or are pregnant and have an underlying health condition that puts them at a greater risk of severe illness from COVID-19 at any gestation, are advised to take a more precautionary approach. Employers should consider how to redeploy these staff and maximise the potential for homeworking, wherever possible.
Questioner: Mick Whitley
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of support available to family members of people experiencing serious mental health issues.
Answer (Nadine Dorries)
Most people with severe and long-term mental ill health have a right to social care support under the Care Act 2014 and this extends to their carer. The Act requires that, where an adult or carer appears to have care and support needs, the local authority must carry out an assessment.
In addition, most people with a severe mental illness will have a care plan under the Care Programme Approach (CPA), a framework used to assess a person’s needs, make sure that they are supported and to carry out regular reviews to see if the person’s need have changed. Under the CPA, carers have a right to their own assessment of needs, and plan of support, including a choice about the level of support, a life outside of caring, regular breaks and support to maintain employment.
Questioner: Jeremy Hunt
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many new mothers developed PTSD after childbirth in each year from 2010 to 2020.
Answer (Nadine Dorries)
The information requested is not available.
Questioner: Emma Hardy
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his Department categorises as essential work during the January 2021 covid-19 lockdown period; and if he will publish guidance on that matter.
Answer (Nadine Dorries)
Essential work includes but is not limited to doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, social workers, care workers, and other frontline health and social care staff including volunteers; the support and specialist staff required to maintain the United Kingdom’s health and social care sector; and those working as part of the health and social care supply chain, including producers and distributors of medicines and medical and personal protective equipment.