Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what research they have (1) commissioned, and (2) published, on the impact of exposure to air pollution on foetal development during pregnancy.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), formerly Public Health England, contributed to a report by the Royal College of Physicians’ and Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health that examined the impact of exposure to air pollution across the course of a lifetime. It states that from the earliest stages of development DNA is susceptible to changes arising from exposure to air pollution. During critical periods of development, any interference can harm organs and tissues or change their developmental trajectory so that their function is impaired. The susceptibility of the development of lungs and the brain to air pollution are highlighted in the report.
UKHSA also provides the scientific secretariat to the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants, which is currently preparing a report considering the evidence linking maternal exposure to air pollution during pregnancy, with preterm birth, low birth weight and stillbirth.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will publish guidance on how people can protect themselves from the harms of air pollution.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government makes a wide range of information available to the public through the UK-Air website and on social media. This includes a five-day forecast, latest local measurements from nationwide monitoring networks and health advice informed by the work of the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants.
Air quality forecasts are communicated using the Daily Air Quality Index (DAQI). The DAQI informs the public about air pollution levels in their area and provides health advice in the form of recommended actions that can be taken by the general public and susceptible individuals. As part of the Air Quality Information System review, the Government are conducting an evaluation assessing the appropriateness and effectiveness of the current DAQI.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to work with health professionals to address the disproportionate impact of air pollution on Black and racialised communities.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has published guidance on air pollution which includes recommendations on advice health professionals can provide to people who may be affected by poor air quality. A copy of the guidance is attached.
NHS England focuses on reducing healthcare inequalities at both national and system level in the most deprived and underserved communities, through its Core20PLUS5 programme. This programme sets out a target population comprising of the poorest 20 percent of the population, along with ethnic minorities and inclusion health groups.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the health outcomes of people who were advised to shield from COVID-19 in 2020; and what steps they are taking to protect their ongoing health.
Answered by Lord Kamall
In October 2020, NHS Digital published an analysis of the main health outcomes for shielded patients to August and September 2021. This analysis found that individuals on the shielded patient list had higher rates of emergency admissions than those in the age-matched general population sample before the pandemic. This rate reduced sharply for both of these groups in April 2020. The all-cause mortality rate for individuals on the shielded patient list peaked and reduced at an earlier stage than for the age-matched general population sample. Amongst those who were tested under pillar 1 - swab testing in Public Health England’s laboratories and National Health Service hospitals for those with a clinical need and health and care workers - and were in the shielded patient list or the age-matched general population sample, positive tests recorded peaked in early April 2020 in both groups. A copy of NHS Digital’s analysis is attached, due to the size of the data.
The shielding programme in England ended on 15 September 2021. Most formerly clinically extremely vulnerable people are no longer considered at substantially greater risk than the general population. These individuals are advised to follow general guidance, in addition to any advice from their general practitioner or consultant to reduce their risk of infection.
However, those whose immune system means they are at higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19 despite vaccination should consider their individual risk, supported by their NHS clinician where necessary. Enhanced protections such as those offered by treatments, additional vaccinations and potentially other non-clinical interventions may benefit this patient group.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they recognise the need for a (1) nationally recognised, and (2) mandatory, care qualification; and what steps they have taken, if any, towards establishing this.
Answered by Lord Kamall
There are a number of nationally recognised qualifications available for those working in the adult social care sector. We are also investing in the social care workforce to support those working in care to access training and qualifications and increase their skills.
In addition, the Care Certificate provides nationally recognised training standards for non-registered roles. The standards equip workers with the fundamental skills they need to provide quality care and care workers complete the Care Certificate as part of their induction training. We have also committed to the creation of a delivery standard recognised across the sector. This will improve the portability of the Care Certificate, to avoid care workers repeating training when moving roles. We are exploring options to establish a requirement for all care workers to have reached this baseline standard.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what training is available to care inspectors in relation to diet and its impact on overall wellbeing.
Answered by Lord Kamall
As the independent regulator of health and adult social care in England, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) monitors, inspects and regulates services to ensure they meet fundamental standards of quality and safety. The CQC’s inspectors consider Regulation 14 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, to assess whether people who use services have adequate nutrition and hydration to sustain life and good health.
The CQC can prosecute for a breach of this regulation or a breach of part of the regulation if a failure to meet the regulation results in avoidable harm to a person using the service or a person using the service is exposed to significant risk of harm.
While the CQC’s inspectors are not required to undertake specific mandatory training in relation to diet and Regulation 14, the CQC refers its inspectors to both learning resources produced by Skills for Care and internal resources on nutrition and hydration.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the standard training given to chefs in care settings.
Answered by Lord Kamall
No specific assessment has been made.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made, if any, of the number of people receiving social care who follow a non-meat diet; and what steps they are taking to ensure that such people are given meat-free meals.
Answered by Lord Kamall
No estimate has been made of the number of people receiving social care who follow a non-meat diet. Local authorities should facilitate the personalisation of care and support services in line with their duties under the Care Act 2014. This includes encouraging services to enable people to make meaningful choices and to take control over the way their care is planned and delivered, based on their individual needs and what matters most to them. This may include dietary requirements and preferences where appropriate.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to ensure that all women's prisons have (1) paediatric, and (2) neonatal, emergency equipment; and how they intend to ensure that all healthcare staff are trained in paediatric and neonatal resuscitation.
Answered by Lord Kamall
NHS England and NHS Improvement is responsible for commissioning virtually all healthcare services in prisons in England, including clinical services for pregnant women.
Basic resuscitation equipment only is provided in prisons. NHS England and NHS Improvement has consulted experts in the field of neonatal resuscitation, following which a decision was taken not to provide neonatal resuscitation equipment in prisons due to the highly specialised nature of neonatal resuscitation, which requires specialist training, equipment and immediate access to highly qualified and skilled staff. Should these staff not be available there is a risk that the equipment could be used by untrained staff which risks harming the baby.
All healthcare staff should receive relevant first aid training, including basic adult life support and what to do in emergency situations where specialist neonatal resuscitation is required. This normally includes seeking a rapid response from the local ambulance service who can guide staff through cardiopulmonary resuscitation/rescue breaths and keeping the baby warm until the local ambulance service are in attendance.
While the training of staff employed by Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service working in prisons is a matter for that organisation, as the commissioner for NHS services in prisons, NHS England and NHS Improvement seeks evidence that commissioned healthcare providers field competent and appropriately-trained staff to fulfil specific requirements in their contractual obligations.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to reports of transmission of COVID-19 between minks and humans in Denmark, what steps they are taking to reduce the human and animal health risks posed by mink and other fur farming.
Answered by Lord Bethell
Fur farming including mink and other animal fur has been banned in the United Kingdom since 2000.
There are an estimated 120,000 wild mink in Great Britain, that established in the wild following escapes/releases from fur farms in the early twentieth century. As wild mink generally avoids human contact, there is very limited risk of direct contact with mink for the public. Individuals responsible for care of wild or rescued mink are being provided advice by Natural England on practices to reduce infection.