Asked by: Baroness Sheehan (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they plan to publish daily data on the number of people vaccinated by (1) the Pfizer/BioNTech, and (2) the Oxford/Astrazeneca, vaccine.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The Government has no plans to publish daily data on the number of people vaccinated by the Pfizer/BioNTech and Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine. Daily data on the number of people vaccinated is published in an online only format.
Asked by: Baroness Sheehan (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 factors which they consider will most limit the roll out of the Oxford/Astrazeneca vaccine at scale; and what such factors they have identified.
Answered by Lord Bethell
We have invested over £300 million towards manufacturing and deploying successful vaccines in the United Kingdom, including ensuring we have adequate provision, transportation, personal protective equipment, and logistical expertise to do so.
All vaccines will present different logistical requirements, but the National Health Service has planned for all eventualities, including securing additional fridges to support the deployment of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine.
Asked by: Baroness Sheehan (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 (1) the implications of the emergence of variants of COVID-19, and (2) the potential for future mutations of that virus; and what plans they have made for the rapid acquisition of any re-purposed vaccine that may be needed.
Answered by Lord Bethell
There is currently no evidence that the vaccines do not work against the new strains but our experts are examining this closely. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is in discussion with vaccine manufacturers on potential modifications to current vaccines that may improve their effectiveness against new virus variants, if required. The MHRA will continue to process any application rapidly and rigorously, seeking advice from its independent expert committee, the Commission on Human Medicines and authorise any new variant vaccine as soon as data on safety, quality and efficacy are satisfactory.
Asked by: Baroness Sheehan (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 special needs of people with hearing loss in NHS hospitals when they are (1) acutely ill, and (2) at risk of death.
Answered by Lord Bethell
No such assessment has been made. However, all National Health Service hospitals are legally required to identify the support needs of patients with a disability, impairment or sensory loss and put in place reasonable adjustments to meet specific needs. This requirement, set out in the Accessible Information Standard, includes people with hearing loss.
Asked by: Baroness Sheehan (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to set up a working group to address the needs of people experiencing long-term health effects of COVID-19.
Answered by Lord Bethell
We have held discussions with interested stakeholders, including clinicians, academics and researchers, to better understand and mitigate the long-term impacts of COVID-19. Further discussions have been held between senior clinicians to review the different options to provide longer-term support of people who have had COVID-19.
To ensure the best use of National Health Service resources for clinical research during the acute phase of the pandemic, the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) established a single United Kingdom-wide process to prioritise COVID-19 research as Urgent Public Health Research. Through this process, the NIHR Clinical Research Network is providing support to expedite delivery of Urgent Public Health Research, by fast tracking the local set-up, management and delivery of studies to help understand, prevent and manage COVID-19. This includes the Post-HOSPitalisation COVID-19 study, led by the University of Leicester, to understand and improve long-term outcomes for survivors following hospitalisation with COVID-19. The research currently underway will continue to inform future NHS service design and provision.
In July, we launched the new ‘Your COVID Recovery’ service, which forms part of NHS plans to expand access to COVID-19 rehabilitation treatments for those who have survived the virus but still have problems with breathing, mental health problems or other complications. Alongside bringing back non-urgent services in a safe way and maintaining a high state of readiness for any future increase in COVID-19 cases, local health leaders are currently working with councils and voluntary groups to plan how they will meet the additional ongoing demand for rehabilitation services post-COVID-19.
Asked by: Baroness Sheehan (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce ‘step-in’ rights as a condition to granting COVID-19 research funding for the issuing of non-exclusive licenses if a licensing partner fails to comply with the requirements of providing the health technology at an affordable and fair price.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) contract, used to fund some COVID-19 research, contains a licence back to the Department – known as a ‘step-in right’. This contractual right enables the Department to use, and sub-license to others, all intellectual property created with its funding, and any related intellectual property owned by another party who is contributing to the research project. For COVID-19 research, the Department can exercise the right where the Department is in a position to use or promote the outputs of the funded research in order to achieve ‘Patient Benefit’, including the prevention, treatment or management of any threat to public health.
Asked by: Baroness Sheehan (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to stipulate as a condition of COVID-19 UK public funding that any vaccine or medical product developed is licensed according to the principles of socially responsible licensing which includes, but is not limited to, preventing exclusive licensing.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The Government is giving careful consideration to the conditions attached to COVID-19 public funding. The National Institute for Health Research is a signatory of the data sharing concordat and are working closely with research institutions to share the results of COVID-19 funded research in line with these principles. In addition, the United Kingdom has committed over £300 million to global efforts on vaccines, diagnostics and medicines, through the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics, the Wellcome Trust Therapeutics Accelerator and other platforms.