Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking through public health campaigns to warn people of the dangers of ketamine.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department takes the threat of ketamine and other drugs seriously, and is working with partners across Government to respond to existing and new drug threats, and to reduce and prevent the health harms. We are committed to ensuring that anyone with a drug problem can access the help and support they need. We know that drug treatment is protective, and the number of places in treatment for people who use drugs, other than opiates, is being increased by 30,000.
The Government has a drug information and advice service called Talk to FRANK, which aims to reduce drug misuse and its harms by increasing awareness, particularly for young people and parents. FRANK offers easy to read information on the risks of using ketamine and mixing it with other substances, and basic harm reduction advice.
The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) has developed a briefing on ketamine for local areas, many of which are already mobilising in response to local need. The OHID also commissions drug education materials to be used by schools in personal, social, health, and economic education.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to analyse and attribute the level and causes of excess deaths in the UK since 2020, both those caused directly by COVID-19 and those from other sources.
Answered by Lord Markham - Shadow Minister (Science, Innovation and Technology)
Excess deaths are the difference between the number of registered deaths and the number expected based on previous trends. Weekly estimates of excess deaths are published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Its latest data shows that for the years 2020 to 2022, there were an estimated 151,506 estimated excess deaths in England.
It is likely that deaths from COVID-19 were a large driver of excess deaths in the peak pandemic periods. Deaths were above the expected level for most of the second half of 2021, and from March 2022 until the summer of 2023; however, deaths have been below the expected level for most weeks since then.
The drivers of excess deaths are not fully understood, and the excess is likely to be the net effect of many complex and potentially related factors. The attribution of excess deaths to these factors is complex and beyond the scope of the ONS methodology. The UK Health Security Agency has estimated the excess deaths due to acute factors, such as heatwaves, cold snaps, COVID-19 and influenza.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of excess deaths that have arisen as a consequence of restrictions and lockdowns arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answered by Lord Markham - Shadow Minister (Science, Innovation and Technology)
Excess deaths are the difference between the number of registered deaths and the number expected based on previous trends. Weekly estimates of excess deaths are published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Its latest data shows that for the years 2020 to 2022, there were an estimated 151,506 estimated excess deaths in England.
It is likely that deaths from COVID-19 were a large driver of excess deaths in the peak pandemic periods. Deaths were above the expected level for most of the second half of 2021, and from March 2022 until the summer of 2023; however, deaths have been below the expected level for most weeks since then.
The drivers of excess deaths are not fully understood, and the excess is likely to be the net effect of many complex and potentially related factors. The attribution of excess deaths to these factors is complex and beyond the scope of the ONS methodology. The UK Health Security Agency has estimated the excess deaths due to acute factors, such as heatwaves, cold snaps, COVID-19 and influenza.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of people in the UK still suffering the effects of Long Covid.
Answered by Lord Markham - Shadow Minister (Science, Innovation and Technology)
The most recent data from the Winter Covid-19 Infection Study, a joint study carried out by the Office for National Statistics and the UK Health Security Agency, shows that, for the period 6 February 2024 to 7 March 2024, an estimated 2 million people, or 3.3% of the population, in private households in England and Scotland, reported experiencing long COVID symptoms more than four weeks after a COVID-19 infection. Of these, an estimated 1.5 million people reported that day-to-day activity had been limited, of which an estimated 381,000 reported that day-to-day activity had been limited a lot.
Where data was available to calculate the exact duration of long COVID, this showed that an estimated 164,000 people first had, or suspected they had, COVID-19 less than 12 weeks previously, 1.1 million people had symptoms for 12 or more weeks, 930,000 people for at least a year and 670,000 for at least two years. We do not know the exact duration for an estimated 680,980. These results are based on questionnaire responses from 107,852 participants, where weighted percentages from the questionnaire have been applied to the population total in England and Scotland.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to ban mercury-based dental amalgam in England and, if so, when.
Answered by Lord Markham - Shadow Minister (Science, Innovation and Technology)
The United Kingdom’s current position is to phase down the use of dental amalgam in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, in line with national plans published in 2019. This includes avoiding the need for fillings through improvements in oral health and prevention, a clinical minimal intervention approach, restrictions on the use of dental amalgam on the treatment of deciduous teeth; in children under 15 years; and in pregnant or breastfeeding women, except when strictly deemed necessary by the practitioner on the ground of specific medical needs of the patient. This position is based on existing research on dental amalgam alternatives, clinical assessments based on clinical, and population need of the UK, impacts of COVID-19 and environmental uncertainties.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the EU about the possibility of seeking an exemption for Northern Ireland on any ban on mercury-based dental amalgam.
Answered by Lord Markham - Shadow Minister (Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government published an explanatory memorandum for the European Union’s (EU) mercury products legislation COM(23)395 and C(23)4683, on 1 November 2023. The final regulation has not yet been published by the EU, and we continue to assess the potential impacts. The Windsor Framework provides important mechanisms for robust engagement on matters of regulatory policy between the EU and the United Kingdom, as well as a guarantee of democratic oversight for the Northern Ireland Assembly. The Government has regular conversations with the EU about Windsor Framework-related matters.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the proposed EU ban on mercury-based dental amalgam will apply in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Lord Markham - Shadow Minister (Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government published an explanatory memorandum for the European Union’s (EU) mercury products legislation COM(23)395 and C(23)4683, on 1 November 2023. The final regulation has not yet been published by the EU, and we continue to assess the potential impacts. The Windsor Framework provides important mechanisms for robust engagement on matters of regulatory policy between the EU and the United Kingdom, as well as a guarantee of democratic oversight for the Northern Ireland Assembly. The Government has regular conversations with the EU about Windsor Framework-related matters.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the likely impact on numbers of carers and senior carers in healthcare in the UK as a result of changes to immigration rules preventing their dependents from moving to the UK.
Answered by Lord Markham - Shadow Minister (Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Home Office has published estimates of the impact these changes might have on the number of people applying to work in the sector from outside the United Kingdom. A copy of these estimates is attached.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure that the cognitive and behavioural needs of dementia sufferers are properly reflected when deciding Continuing Health Care funding.
Answered by Lord Markham - Shadow Minister (Science, Innovation and Technology)
In England, eligibility for NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) is not determined by age, diagnosis or condition, or financial means. It is assessed on a case-by-case basis considering the totality of an individual’s needs, including ways in which these needs interact with one another.
When an individual is identified as potentially eligible for CHC, the National Framework for NHS Continuing Healthcare and NHS Funded Nursing Care sets out the process for determining whether they have a ‘primary health need’. This includes assessment by a multidisciplinary team using a tool that has been developed to identify an individual’s needs and aid consistent decision making. A copy of the framework is attached.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure consistency of approach when applying Continuing Health Care funding.
Answered by Lord Markham - Shadow Minister (Science, Innovation and Technology)
In England, the Department has provided detailed guidance on the process for determining eligibility for NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) through the National Framework for NHS Continuing Healthcare and NHS-funded Nursing Care, a copy of which is attached. The framework supports practitioners across health and social care to undertake assessments and deliver CHC.
Operational delivery of CHC is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) with oversight from NHS England. NHS England holds ICBs accountable and engages with them to ensure that they discharge their functions, including via timely and well-established assurance mechanisms.