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Written Question
Coronavirus: Disease Control
Tuesday 10th November 2020

Asked by: Lord Stevenson of Balmacara (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) feasibility, and (2) benefits, of promoting the use of digital identification in retail and hospitality settings to help address the spread of COVID-19.

Answered by Lord Bethell

Having a more open economy is reliant on having measures in place to minimise transmission of the virus and keep the public safe. Where someone who has visited a venue in the hospitality sector or other designated sectors tests positive, NHS Test and Trace or local public health officials may request the records maintained by that venue of staff, customers and visitors. This will help them to identify people who may have been exposed to the virus and provide the necessary public health advice.

Since 18 September 2020, the Test and Trace strategy has included mandatory requirements for designated venues, including displaying an official National Health Service QR code poster from 24 September, so that customers and visitors can ‘check in’ using the NHS COVID-19 app as an alternative to providing their contact details.

Written Question
Haematological Cancer
Tuesday 28th July 2015

Asked by: Lord Stevenson of Balmacara (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the report <i>Destination Cure</i>; and whether they plan to support the calls for a stem cell donor for every person who needs one, a successful transplant for every blood cancer patient, and the right post-transplant care for every patient who needs it.

Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton

The Government remains committed to improving stem cell transplantation services and doing all we can to help those in need of a transplant to find a suitable donor.

Since 2011, the Department has provided our delivery partners, NHS Blood and Transplant and the Anthony Nolan (formerly the Anthony Nolan Trust), a total of £16 million in additional new funding to improve stem cell transplantation services in the United Kingdom. A further £3 million investment was announced in March 2015.

This funding has led to a tangible improvement in the availability of stem cells in the UK and the achievements include:

  1. More UK patients received a stem cell transplant in 2014 than ever before;
  2. Over 60% of black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) patients are now able to find a well matched donor compared to only 40% in 2010;
  3. A single unified bone marrow donor registry has been created streamlining the provision of stem cells and reducing the time to provide cells from adult donors;
  4. The proportion of patients receiving cord blood from UK donors has significantly increased; and

5. An increase in UK patients receiving a transplant from 802 in 2010/11 to 1060 in 2013/14. The increased use of UK-sourced stem cells has meant that more donors than ever are available to donate leading to a significant cost saving by reducing the need to import stem cells.

The report ‘Destination Cure – arriving at a better future’ from Anthony Nolan is a timely contribution to the debate on the future of this work.