Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the largest clinical negligence claim that has been paid in England.
Answered by Lord Kamall - Shadow Minister (Health and Social Care)
NHS Resolution has advised that the largest clinical negligence claim that has been settled in England was for a capitalised sum of £37 million in November 2019. This was awarded to a young child left brain damaged at birth. It was settled on the basis of payment of a lump sum plus annual periodic payments for the rest of the claimant’s life.
Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when booster vaccinations for COVID-19 will be recorded on the NHS app.
Answered by Lord Kamall - Shadow Minister (Health and Social Care)
The NHS COVID Pass can now be used to demonstrate proof of a booster or third dose for outbound international travel and this is available through the NHS App and NHS.UK. Booster vaccinations are not required for domestic certification in England.
Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the safety of care home (1) residents, and (2) staff, given recent reports that only 28.8 per cent of residents and 14.1 per cent of staff have had a COVID-19 booster vaccination.
Answered by Lord Kamall - Shadow Minister (Health and Social Care)
The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies has advised that a vaccination uptake rate of 90% in residents and 80% in staff in each individual care home setting would be needed to provide a minimum level of protection against outbreaks of COVID-19. As of 7 November, 94.9% of residents and 90.2% of staff in homes for older people have received their second dose based on responses from 99.2% of providers. As of 22 October, 88% of care homes had either been visited by the booster programme or appointments have been booked.
Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the medical reasons for the ban of the smoking substitute snus.
Answered by Lord Kamall - Shadow Minister (Health and Social Care)
Evidence shows that the consumption of any tobacco product is harmful and it is the Government’s policy to support people to quit all forms of tobacco use. Oral tobacco, or snus, is banned in the United Kingdom under the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016.
The Impact assessment on the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States concerning the manufacture, presentation and sale of tobacco and related products stated that oral tobacco products contain carcinogenic substances which are associated with a number of adverse health effects. Snus can also contain carcinogenic tobacco specific nitrosamines and other carcinogenic substances such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which also have been associated with several adverse health effects. A copy of the impact assessment is attached.
Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of hospitalisations and deaths from COVID-19 before restrictions would need to be implemented again.
Answered by Lord Bethell
Our approach has always been focused on data, not dates, in determining whether it is safe to proceed. In order to pass the tests and proceed with Step 4, we will need to be confident that easing will not lead to a surge in infections that could put unsustainable pressure on the NHS.
However, we have seen time and time again that the virus is unpredictable, and circumstances can change. We know there are risks ahead, not only from new variants, but also seasonal changes in transmission. We will continue to monitor the data closely and take action if needed to keep the public safe and prevent unsustainable pressure on the NHS.
Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the findings of the study undertaken by Imperial College London and Water Babies, reported on 12 April, which found that swimming pool water can inactivate the COVID-19 virus in 30 seconds in the right conditions.
Answered by Lord Bethell
Public Health England has not made an assessment.
Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bethell on 6 August 2020 (HL7091), in how many of the 2,712 litigated clinical claims in 2019/20 for which damages were paid was (1) liability, or (2) causation, at issue.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The information NHS Resolution holds on individual clinical negligence claims does not identify or distinguish between liability and causation. Reasons for litigation are varied and include some cases where only liability is in issue, cases where only quantum, or the level of damages, is in issue and a cohort of cases where both are in issue.
In some cases, litigation is needed to reach resolution but neither liability or quantum are in dispute. Most notably, court approval is required for settlements where the injured individual lacks capacity or is a minor. Litigation may also be needed to reach a determination on a point of law or to pursue a contribution towards compensation from another party.
Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to their consultation on restricting online advertising for products high in fat, sugar and salt, published on 10 November 2020, what assessment they have made of restricting advertisements for such products on social media.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The consultation on how to introduce a total restriction of online advertising for products high in fat, salt and sugar included proposals for how to restrict advertising on social media. The responses will be considered and captured in the final policy decision. We will publish the response to the consultation shortly.