Asked by: Lord Truscott (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what resources they intend to allocate to deal with a COVID-19 pandemic in the UK.
Answered by Lord Bethell
We have made £20 million available to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness which will support work developing new vaccines for epidemics, including four new programmes to develop vaccines against the novel coronavirus.
We have also launched a £20 million rapid response call to support research on the novel coronavirus.
During the announcement for the 2020 Budget, the Chancellor further detailed how we will be allocating funds.
The Chancellor has set out a £12 billion package of temporary, timely and targeted measures to support public services, individuals and businesses through the economic disruption caused by COVID-19.
The Government continues to work closely with the Bank of England and international partners and announced a three point plan at the Budget.
Asked by: Lord Truscott (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the NHS has sufficient resources to manage a UK-wide pandemic.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The Government, the National Health Service and Public Health England are extremely well-prepared and used to managing infections. As with other cold and flu viruses, they are using tried and tested procedures to prevent further spread. We continue to work closely with the World Health Organization and the international community to ensure we are ready for all eventualities.
The NHS has expert teams in every ambulance service and a number of specialist hospital units with highly trained staff and equipment ready to receive and care for patients with any highly infectious disease.
We are working through our clear action plan. Like all our decisions, the plan is based on the expertise of world leading scientists. We will do the right thing at the right time, based on the best available science.
Asked by: Lord Truscott (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to manage a COVID-19 pandemic in the UK.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The United Kingdom is well prepared for disease outbreaks, having responded to a wide range of infectious disease outbreaks in the recent past, and having undertaken significant preparedness work for an influenza pandemic for well over a decade.
Our plans have been regularly tested and updated locally and nationally to ensure they are fit for purpose. This experience provides the basis for an effective response to COVID-19, which can be tailored as more specific information emerges about the virus.
These plans ensure the UK is equipped to deliver a co-ordinated multi-agency response to minimise wider societal impact that could arise from a significant outbreak. An effective response also requires the active participation of a well-informed public and all service providers.
Publicly available advice recommends the best way for people to protect themselves from infections like coronavirus is to wash their hands frequently with soap and water or use a sanitiser gel, as well as always carrying tissues and using them to catch coughs and sneezes, then putting the tissue in a bin.
We have a plan based on the expertise of world leading scientists. We are continuing to work closely with the World Health Organization and the international community as the outbreak develops to ensure we are ready for all eventualities.
Asked by: Lord Truscott (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 the likely impact of United States health and pharmaceutical companies bidding for NHS services post-Brexit.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
The Government will continue to ensure that decisions about public services are made by United Kingdom Governments, not our trade partners including the United States. As we leave the European Union, the UK will continue to ensure that rigorous protections for the National Health Service are included in all trade agreements it is party to.
Asked by: Lord Truscott (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 UK prescription charges changing should United States pharmaceutical companies be able to raise their prices for UK patients and reduce those for US consumers post-Brexit, in the light of recent remarks by the President of the United States.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
The Department has made no assessment.