Asked by: Baroness Greengross (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take during the Prime Minister's term as Commonwealth Chair-in-Office to ensure that (1) older people, and (2) ageing issues, are integrated into the work of the Commonwealth and the agenda of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2020.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
During the recent Heads of Government Meeting, the Foreign Secretary welcomed the first ever Commonwealth Elders' Forum, convened by Common Age. This event included discussions on human rights, women and dementia, and elderly care.
During the UK's period as Commonwealth Chair-in-Office we will work closely with fellow member states, the Commonwealth Secretariat and accredited organisations to support the delivery of the conclusions of this Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, as expressed in the communiqué.
The communiqué recognised the importance of "the full social, economic and political participation of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status". As host country, Rwanda will be responsible for developing the agenda for the 2020 summit, in consultation with member states.
Asked by: Baroness Greengross (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will place in the Library of the House copies of estimates made by the Joint Committee on Immunisation and Vaccination of the number of cases of invasive pneumococcal disease that may result from a reduction in the number of doses in the infant pneumococcal vaccination programme.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
Public Health England has undertaken modelling on the impact of a reduced dose pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) schedule in the United Kingdom. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) reviewed the modelling in October 2017 and after considering all relevant evidence advised a revised schedule for PCV13 vaccine, with vaccination offered at three months and 12 months.
The JCVI is currently undertaking a consultation on their advice, therefore the estimates requested are not yet finalised. The modelling will be submitted for publication in a peer reviewed journal in spring 2018.
Asked by: Baroness Greengross (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to conduct a public consultation on changing the pneumococcal vaccination programme, following advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation to move to a "1 + 1" schedule for pneumococcal vaccine use in children.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) provides independent expert advice on the United Kingdom immunisation programme. It bases its recommendations on a comprehensive review of a wide range of scientific and other evidence, including from the published literature, and commissioned studies such as independent analyses of vaccine effectiveness and cost effectiveness. It can consult with stakeholders on its advice when it deems this necessary.
At its meeting in October 2017, the JCVI advised a change to the UK’s childhood pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) schedule. It recommended that infants should receive a single dose in infancy followed by a booster at one year of age (a “1+1” schedule). This advice was based on high vaccine uptake and effectiveness of the current PCV programme in the UK which has reduced vaccine-preventable pneumococcal disease.
The JCVI conducted a short focused consultation in January on its proposed advice about the PCV schedule. This concluded on 2 February. It is understood that some stakeholders have requested an extension to this consultation. The JCVI considered this request at its meeting on 7 February and their decision on this will be made public shortly. It is the JCVI rather than the Government that is best placed to carry out consultation about scheduling within the vaccine programme and who to target the consultation at.
Asked by: Baroness Greengross (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that people delivering homecare are at Tier 2 within the Care Certificate, equivalent to their NHS counterparts.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
The Challenge on Dementia 2020, published in February 2015, made clear that, by 2020, we expect social care providers to provide appropriate training on dementia to all relevant staff. A copy of the Challenge on Dementia 2020 is attached.
The Department estimates that more than 100,000 social care workers have already received dementia awareness training. Newly appointed health care assistants and social care support workers, including those providing care and support to people with dementia and their carers, should undergo training as part of the national implementation of the Care Certificate.
Standard 9 of the Care Certificate concerns awareness of mental health, dementia and learning disabilities. In meeting the standard, each worker must show that he or she understands the needs and experiences of people with mental health conditions, dementia or learning disabilities, the importance of promoting their health and wellbeing, the adjustments which may be necessary in delivering their care, and the importance of early detection. They must also prove that they understand the legal context, including mental capacity considerations.
This standard is based in tier 1 of the Dementia Core Skills Education and Training Framework, which focuses on awareness. This tier of knowledge is applicable across the spectrum of health and adult social care services and so is at an appropriate level to inform the Care Certificate’s content.
Asked by: Baroness Greengross (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what recent assessment they have made of the level of dementia training provided to homecare workers delivering care to people with dementia.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
The Challenge on Dementia 2020, published in February 2015, made clear that, by 2020, we expect social care providers to provide appropriate training on dementia to all relevant staff. A copy of the Challenge on Dementia 2020 is attached.
The Department estimates that more than 100,000 social care workers have already received dementia awareness training. Newly appointed health care assistants and social care support workers, including those providing care and support to people with dementia and their carers, should undergo training as part of the national implementation of the Care Certificate.
Standard 9 of the Care Certificate concerns awareness of mental health, dementia and learning disabilities. In meeting the standard, each worker must show that he or she understands the needs and experiences of people with mental health conditions, dementia or learning disabilities, the importance of promoting their health and wellbeing, the adjustments which may be necessary in delivering their care, and the importance of early detection. They must also prove that they understand the legal context, including mental capacity considerations.
This standard is based in tier 1 of the Dementia Core Skills Education and Training Framework, which focuses on awareness. This tier of knowledge is applicable across the spectrum of health and adult social care services and so is at an appropriate level to inform the Care Certificate’s content.
Asked by: Baroness Greengross (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that all homecare workers receive training relating specifically to dementia.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
The Challenge on Dementia 2020, published in February 2015, made clear that, by 2020, we expect social care providers to provide appropriate training on dementia to all relevant staff. A copy of the Challenge on Dementia 2020 is attached.
The Department estimates that more than 100,000 social care workers have already received dementia awareness training. Newly appointed health care assistants and social care support workers, including those providing care and support to people with dementia and their carers, should undergo training as part of the national implementation of the Care Certificate.
Standard 9 of the Care Certificate concerns awareness of mental health, dementia and learning disabilities. In meeting the standard, each worker must show that he or she understands the needs and experiences of people with mental health conditions, dementia or learning disabilities, the importance of promoting their health and wellbeing, the adjustments which may be necessary in delivering their care, and the importance of early detection. They must also prove that they understand the legal context, including mental capacity considerations.
This standard is based in tier 1 of the Dementia Core Skills Education and Training Framework, which focuses on awareness. This tier of knowledge is applicable across the spectrum of health and adult social care services and so is at an appropriate level to inform the Care Certificate’s content.
Asked by: Baroness Greengross (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 26 April (HL7576), why the current section 7a public health functions agreement does not include performance indicators for the provision of pneumococcal vaccination to severely immunocompromised children aged at least five years and adults, as recommended by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation in July 2013.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
The performance indicators included in the 2016-17 S7A public health functions agreement do not reflect every activity which is carried out under the agreement.
As I stated in my answer of 26 April, the provision of pneumococcal vaccination to severely immunocompromised children aged at least five years and adults, as recommended by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation in July 2013, is reflected in the relevant service specification for the existing pneumococcal immunisation programme and within the document Immunisation against Infectious Diseases (‘the Green Book’). The Green Book is published on the GOV.UK website in an online only format.
A copy of the service specification on the pneumococcal immunisation programme is attached.
Asked by: Baroness Greengross (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 21 March (HL7044), why the current section 7a public health functions agreement does not include key deliverables for the provision of pneumococcal vaccination to severely immunocompromised children aged at least five years and adults, as recommended by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation in July 2013.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
The 2016-17 Section 7A public health functions agreement specifies key deliverables in relation to new or changed programmes that are being introduced within 2016-17.
The provision of pneumococcal vaccination to severely immunocompromised children aged at least five years and adults, as recommended by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation in July 2013, is reflected in the relevant service specification for the existing pneumococcal immunisation programme and within the document Immunisation against Infectious Diseases (‘the Green Book’). The Green Book is published on the GOV.UK website in an online only format.
Asked by: Baroness Greengross (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what actions (1) NHS England, and (2) Public Health England, are taking to improve levels of vaccination coverage of recommended vaccines for adults in areas with low levels of uptake.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
Through the National Health Service public health functions agreement (S7A), NHS England commissions services from a variety of providers across England, and has a national service specification outlining the national standards and expectations. Immunisation programmes are delivered in partnership with Public Health England (PHE) and the Department, who use contracting and commissioning levers to reduce variation in local levels of performance between different geographical areas. In addition, organisations are working together on a number of priority programmes where there is variation, such as measles, mumps, and rubella to put in place effective actions for improvement.
PHE works in partnership with NHS England and Directors of Public Health to ensure that local population needs are understood and addressed by local immunisation services, and with NHS England local teams to provide leadership and coordination to sustain and improve the successful delivery of existing programmes.
PHE constantly monitors cases of vaccine preventable disease and levels of vaccine coverage.
Asked by: Baroness Greengross (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans Public Health England has to issue guidance to healthcare professionals on the use of nationally procured vaccine stock.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
Public Health England issues guidance to healthcare professionals on the use of nationally procured vaccine stock through chapter three of its publication, ‘Immunisation against infectious diseases’ titled ‘Storage, distribution and disposal of vaccines’. A copy is attached.