Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support people suffering from mental health problems either caused or exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answered by Lord Bethell
We recognise the impact of the pandemic on people’s mental wellbeing, potentially leading to the onset of new mental health difficulties as well as exacerbating existing problems. We have released tailored guidance on the ‘Every Mind Matters’ website and GOV.UK giving advice and practical steps for people to support their mental health and wellbeing.
National Health Service mental health services have remained open for business throughout this time, including delivering support digitally and by phone. For those with severe needs or in crisis, NHS mental health providers have set up 24 hours, seven days a week urgent mental health helplines. We have also provided over £10 million funding for mental health charities supporting people through the pandemic.
We remain committed to investing at least £2.3 billion of extra funding a year into mental health services by 2023-24 through the NHS Long Term Plan.
Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to their announcement of a public consultation on whether to make permanent the current COVID-19 measure allowing for home use of early medical abortion pills up to 10 weeks’ gestation for all eligible women on 6 July (HC Deb, col 717), what plans they have to hold an inquiry into the British Pregnancy Advisory Service’s provision of a telemedical service to send abortion pills by post to women from Northern Ireland.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The Government funds the Central Booking Service, which is managed by British Pregnancy Advisory Service for access to services under the Abortion Act 1967 in England only.
Health is devolved matter and abortions in Northern Ireland follow the regulations that apply there. Service provision in Northern Ireland, in line with the regulations, is a matter for the Department of Health in Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what lifestyle changes they recommend to slow the progress of dementia.
Answered by Lord Bethell
Lifestyle changes which may help prevent or delay the onset of dementia include being more physically active, eating healthily and maintaining a healthy weight, not exceeding lower risk levels of alcohol consumption, not smoking, connecting with people and staying mentally active, and controlling diabetes and high blood pressure.
An aspiration of the Government’s Challenge on Dementia 2020 is to improve public awareness and understanding of the factors which can increase the risk of developing dementia and of how people can reduce their risk by living more healthily.
Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist 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 article by Dr Stuart W G Derbyshire and John C Bockmann Reconsidering fetal pain, published in the British Medical Journal’s Journal of Medical Ethics in January; and what steps they are taking as a result of any such assessment.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The Department does not set clinical practice. To support clinical practice, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has considered the issue of fetal pain and awareness in its guideline on Fetal Awareness: Review of Research and Recommendations for Practice.
The Department has brought the article by Dr Stuart W G Derbyshire and John C Bockmann to the attention of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. It is for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists to consider whether to revise the guidelines having considered the available evidence.
Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent assessment he has made of potential links between breast and prostate cancer; and whether he has discussed this matter with the devolved administrations.
Answered by Jane Ellison
Although no formal assessment has been made, we acknowledge that there is evidence about the BRCA1 and BRCA2 breast cancer genes also giving a higher risk of prostate cancer. As health is a devolved matter, Ministers do not regularly hold discussions on these matters with their counterparts in the Devolved Administrations. However, research and evidence of best practice is made widely available throughout the United Kingdom.
Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of children with diabetes experience problems with their eyesight and kidneys before they reach the age of 18.
Answered by Dan Poulter
The information requested is not collected centrally by the Department.
The National Paediatric Diabetes Audit published on 9 March 2015 by the Royal College of Paediatric and Child Health reported that 7% of young people aged 12 and over have excess protein in their urine which indicates a high risk of future kidney disease and over 14% have early signs of eye disease, putting them at risk of future blindness.
Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent progress he has made in preventing the Ebola virus spreading in the UK.
Answered by Jane Ellison
The Chief Medical Officer, Professor Dame Sally Davies, has advised that the overall risk to the public remains low. The United Kingdom has robust, well-developed and well-tested public health and National Health Service systems for preventing and managing infectious diseases including any imported case of this type of disease, supported by a wide range of experts and specialist units. NHS England has recently received assurance from all NHS acute and ambulance chief executives of their readiness for an Ebola case.
Screening arrangements are in place at the UK’s main ports of entry for people travelling from the affected regions. Screening involves temperature checks and a questionnaire asking about current health, recent travel history and any contact with Ebola patients. Passengers are required to provide contact details and are given advice on what to do and whom to contact should they develop symptoms.
In addition to weekly meetings with the Devolved Administrations at official level, I hold regular meetings with the health minister counterparts in the Devolved Administrations on UK Ebola preparedness and response.
A number of national and local multi-agency exercises have been conducted in recent months to test operational resilience and provide assurance of Ebola preparedness. This included a recent exercise involving all four nations of the UK. The case of the British nurse recently returned from Sierra Leone demonstrated that the systems put in place across the UK to prepare for and respond to a case of Ebola worked well. In the light of that case, Public Health England has reviewed and further strengthened its screening protocols to ensure that anyone from a higher risk group who feels unwell at the time of screening will be reassessed. Advice will also be sought from an infectious diseases specialist and the passenger will be referred for testing if appropriate. The screening centres at Heathrow were viewed first-hand by the Chief Medical Officer and myself on 1 January 2015 and all arrangements, including the revised protocols, were found to be working well. We will continue to keep screening arrangements under review and look to improve or strengthen the process as guided by expert clinical advice.
Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that there is adequate public consultation and discussion before a decision is taken by Parliament on permitting mitochondrial transfer.
Answered by Jane Ellison
A number of public consultation exercises have taken place on the subject of permitting the use of mitochondrial donation techniques in clinical practice.
In June 2012 the Nuffield Council on Bioethics published an ethical review of novel techniques for the prevention of mitochondrial DNA disorders. The review included an open call for evidence and fact-finding meetings which, the foreword to the report of the review says, “exposed us to a wide range of opinions and informed our thinking.” The report can be found on the Council’s website at:
http://nuffieldbioethics.org/project/mitochondrial-dna-disorders/
Between July and December 2012 the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, with support from the Sciencewise Expert Resource Centre, undertook an extensive United Kingdom public dialogue/consultation exercise, which had a number of strands including a deliberative public workshop, public representative survey, open consultation meetings, open consultation questionnaire and patient focus group. Reports of that exercise, published in March 2013, can be found on the Authority’s website at:
http://www.hfea.gov.uk/9359.html
In February 2014, the Department conducted a public consultation on the specific detail of the draft regulations. The report of that consultation was published in July 2014 and can be found on the GOV.UK website at:
The Department has also received and responded to a large volume of correspondence on this issue, indicating there is considerable public awareness about it.
The Wellcome Trust, the Lily Foundation, the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign and other research organisations have also worked to raise awareness of mitochondrial disease and the techniques to prevent its transmission.
We are satisfied that the general public is informed about this issue and has had the opportunity to make known its views.
Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in the devolved administrations on increases in attendances at A&E departments.
Answered by Jane Ellison
As health is a devolved matter Ministers do not routinely discuss health issues with their counterparts. However, research and evidence of best practice is made widely available throughout the United Kingdom.
Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in the Northern Ireland Executive regarding campylobacter in poultry.
Answered by Jane Ellison
The UK Food Standards Agency, which is the lead agency for Campylobacter has been in regular contact with relevant departments in each of the four nations through their national offices. Ministers have not spoken to their Northern Ireland counterparts about Campylobacter.