Asked by: Lord Hoyle (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that Gibraltar is protected (1) politically, and (2) economically, so that it does not experience any negative consequences as a result of the UK leaving the European Union.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Last December the UK Government, working alongside the Government of Gibraltar, reached agreement with the Spanish Government on a political framework to form the basis of a UK-EU treaty regarding Gibraltar. We are committed to delivering a treaty which safeguards the UK's sovereignty of Gibraltar and supports the prosperity of both Gibraltar and the surrounding region. Negotiations will begin once the EU has agreed its mandate and we are confident that a treaty between the UK and the EU can be agreed. However, if this does not prove to be the case, or the deal on offer is not the right one for the UK and Gibraltar, we are fully prepared to accept the implications. The UK will stand fully behind Gibraltar, its people and its economy in any scenario.
Asked by: Lord Hoyle (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether it is their position that Gibraltar will remain British for as long as the residents of Gibraltar wish it to be.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK stands by its assurances to Gibraltar that we will never enter into arrangements under which the people of Gibraltar would pass under the sovereignty of another state against their freely and democratically expressed wishes, nor enter into a process of sovereignty negotiations with which Gibraltar is not content.
Asked by: Lord Hoyle (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how often staff working at (1) Chorley and South Ribble Hospital, and (2) Preston Hospital, are tested for COVID-19.
Answered by Lord Bethell
Testing National Health Service staff who have symptoms consistent with COVID-19 has been available from 29 March 2020. The NHS staff groups of both Chorley and South Ribble Hospital, and Preston Hospital are included within this guidance and any other NHS England guidance.
Further guidance is now available on testing non-symptomatic staff groups.
Asked by: Lord Hoyle (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government why the pathology laboratory at Chorley and South Ribble Hospital is not being used for COVID-19 testing.
Answered by Lord Bethell
In line with the Lord Carter of Coles report furthering the modernisation of pathology services, a network approach supporting the consolidation and integration of laboratory testing continues to progress. The networked approach has enabled the pathology services across England to stand up significant testing capability rapidly.
Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust host the microbiology hub and provide COVID-19 testing for the hospitals within its management, including Chorley and South Ribble Hospital.
Asked by: Lord Hoyle (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how often (1) residents, and (2) staff, in care homes in Lancashire are tested for COVID-19.
Answered by Lord Bethell
To provide a more comprehensive response to a number of outstanding Written Questions this has been answered by an information factsheet Testing – note for House of Lords which is attached, due to the size of the data. A copy has also been placed in the Library.
Asked by: Lord Hoyle (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Chorley and South Ribble Clinical Commissioning Group participated in the purchasing of Personal Protective Equipment as part of the initiative co-ordinated by the Lancashire Resilience Forum; and if not, why not.
Answered by Lord Bethell
Local authorities and clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), working with their Local Resilience Forums and drawing on their pre-existing plans for pandemic influenza and the latest guidance for the COVID-19 outbreak available online at GOV.UK, should follow the steps to support people who use direct payments to purchase care and support. The role of the commissioner of their direct payment, whether the local authority or the CCG, is to provide assistance in accessing personal protective equipment.
Asked by: Lord Hoyle (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government who was consulted over the decision taken by the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Trust to close the accident and emergency department at Chorley and South Ribble Hospital.
Answered by Lord Bethell
Proposals to temporarily close the accident and emergency department at Chorley and South Ribble Hospital were discussed at a senior level within the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Fylde Coast Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and NHS England and NHS Improvement during March 2020, in light of the emerging COVID-19 pandemic.
The decision to temporarily reconfigure services at Chorley and South Ribble Hospital was taken via a virtual meeting of the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Board on 26 March 2020, under emergency powers in response to the pandemic. The aim was to address patient safety issues and make the critical care service more sustainable in managing the expected increase in COVID-19 patients who need critical. The decision was communicated to staff on the same day with two press statements being added to websites and further shared via email to range of stakeholders, including local media, hon. Members, local councillors, integrated care system and integrated care provider colleagues, neighbouring trusts and CCGs and the North West Ambulance Service between 27 and 31 March 2020.
Asked by: Lord Hoyle (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the pathology laboratory at Chorley and South Ribble Hospital is being used for testing COVID-19 for NHS staff; and if not, why not.
Answered by Lord Bethell
NHS England can confirm that Chorley and South Ribble Hospital is being used for COVID-19 testing.
Asked by: Lord Hoyle (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many ambulance drivers employed by the North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust have (1) died, and (2) been placed in intensive care, due to COVID-19.
Answered by Lord Bethell
Data on the numbers of ambulance drivers who have died and been placed in intensive care due to COVID-19 is not held centrally.
Asked by: Lord Hoyle (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans there are to reopen the accident and emergency department at Chorley and South Ribble Hospital; and if there are any such plans, when that department will be reopened.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The accident and emergency department at Chorley and South Ribble Hospital has been temporarily modified to provide an urgent care level service. This is to safely manage the local response to COVID-19. This temporary change will be kept under review during the pandemic and services will be reinstated as soon as reasonably possible, based on local service needs.