Asked by: Lord Stone of Blackheath (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to support the plant-based by default approach to hospital menus proposed in the letter sent by the Plants First Healthcare Campaign to NHS Trusts and integrated care boards on 16 October, and if so, how.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Health Service does not intend to support a default plant-based approach to hospital food. The Government and the NHS understand the importance of patients receiving healthy, nutritious, and balanced food, including fruit, vegetables, and proteins. The NHS’ National Standards for Food and Drink encourage the use of healthier, more sustainable menus that include an increased consumption of fruit, vegetables, and fibre.
Asked by: Lord Stone of Blackheath (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have considered to use trained and non-active military personnel in NHS accident and emergency departments to utilise their skills to provide rapid triage of patient’s needs.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
In April 2024, NHS England launched a drive to recruit armed forces veterans into a range of National Health Service roles. The Step into Health pathway supports members of the armed forces community in connecting to NHS organisations to set up training opportunities, clinical and general work placements, insight days, and application support. More information about the programme is available on the NHS website, in an online only format.
Asked by: Lord Stone of Blackheath (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are planning to provide mental health support to the descendants of Pontian refugees who suffered a genocide between 1914 and 1923, as recognised by the International Association of Genocide Scholars.
Answered by Lord Markham - Shadow Minister (Science, Innovation and Technology)
Mental health support is available to anyone in England experiencing mental ill health including as a result of these past events.
Asked by: Lord Stone of Blackheath (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of excluding NHS staff who have acquired natural immunity following COVID-19 infection from mandatory vaccination requirements.
Answered by Lord Kamall - Shadow Minister (Health and Social Care)
Prior COVID-19 infection is not included as an appropriate exemption from the vaccination regulations. However, following the continued success of the vaccination programme, the Government announced on 31 January 2022 that vaccination will no longer be a condition of deployment for health and social care staff, subject to a public consultation and parliamentary approval.
Asked by: Lord Stone of Blackheath (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to the (1) licensing, and (2) use, of Ivermectin in both the (a) treatment, and (b) prevention, of COVID-19.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The Department is closely monitoring the evidence on the case for using ivermectin for the treatment and prevention of COVID-19. Licensing of ivermectin is dependent on application to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency for authorisation. We are continuing to monitor for new data from trials worldwide, including the UK PRINCIPLE clinical trial platform, which announced on 23 June that ivermectin would be investigated to generate robust data on its effectiveness in treating adults aged 18 years old and over who are at higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19.