Covid-19: Cancelled Medical Operations

Baroness Garden of Frognal Excerpts

Wednesday 10th June 2020 Lords Chamber

[Lord Bethell [V]]

The work of my noble friend Lady Blackwood on rare diseases is well known and acknowledged in the House. Those with rare diseases are in exactly in the kind of vulnerable groups that are being hard hit by Covid. They are given particular access to local support systems and they should have access to home testing services if they feel vulnerable to the effects of Covid. Further, I am happy to undertake a commitment to meet with the relevant stakeholder groups to discuss how we could be working harder to support them.

[The Deputy Speaker (Baroness Garden of Frognal) (LD)]

We do not seem to be able to hear the noble Lord, Lord Patel.

[Lord Patel (CB) [V]]

My Lords, I have unmuted my microphone and I hope that my voice is coming through. I am sorry for the delay.

As the Minister will know, several million patients are on waiting lists for surgery. Given the increased levels of hygiene safety that will be required, it is inevitable that productivity will be down. This means that there will be a need for the prioritisation of cases. Does he agree that the professional organisations should draw up advisory guidelines for clinicians, rather than leaving it to the individuals?

--- Later in debate ---

[Lord Bethell [V]]

The noble Baroness is right to raise this concern. The bigger focus is less on the operational restraints, because the NHS has in fact done extremely well to keep the flow of operations going during this period. It is actually on demand. What we are most deeply concerned about is that patients return to hospitals and that their confidence in undertaking procedures is restored. That is why we have put a huge amount of emphasis on the marketing side of things. That is not to understate the importance of the operational side, but it is patient confidence that is our focus at the moment.

[The Deputy Speaker]

My Lords, the time allowed for this Question has elapsed and I apologise to the noble Lord, Lord Dobbs, and the noble Baroness, Lady Barker, that we have not been able to take their questions.