Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what impact assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of its Living Safely with Covid strategy on the Panoramic study.
Answered by Maggie Throup
Limited symptomatic testing will be available for a small number of at-risk groups. The forthcoming testing strategy will provide more detail on eligible patients, including for those who may be eligible to enrol in the Panoramic study.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many doses of the AstraZenica covid-19 vaccine have been destroyed in the last three months.
Answered by Maggie Throup
Information on vaccine wastage prior to entering the NHS England and NHS Improvement’s supply chain is not yet available. Information on vaccine wastage within NHS England and NHS Improvement’s supply chain is not held centrally.
Mitigations have been put in place throughout the vaccination programme to reduce wastage. Stock levels have been closely monitored at regional, system and site level with deliveries adjusted accordingly. This includes keeping stock in the supply chain and encouraging sites to reallocate vaccines at a local level. Deliveries have been managed in line with site capacity, population density and available supply to ensure that vaccines can be used within a short timeframe.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of people with a compromised immune system (a) who are eligible for a third dose of the covid-19 vaccine, (b) who are eligible and have been contacted regarding the third dose and (c) who have been contacted and have received the third dose; and how many of those in (a), (b) and (c) have blood cancer.
Answered by Maggie Throup
COVID-19 vaccination with a third primary dose for individuals with severe immunosuppression, including eligible patients with blood cancer, commenced on 13 September 2021. NHS England and NHS Improvement identified approximately 504,000 people who may be eligible, who were contacted by text and letter to advise them to discuss options with their clinician. All those eligible have been offered a third primary dose of the vaccine.
As of 20 December 2021, 87.7% of individuals identified as severely immunosuppressed have received a third primary COVID-19 vaccination in England. These figures are updated on an ad-hoc basis. Information on the number of these patients with blood cancer is not held centrally.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the rollout of fourth doses of the covid-19 vaccine for immunocompromised people will start; and whether people will be able to use receipt of a letter from NHS England confirming their immunocompromised status as proof of the need for a fourth dose at vaccination centres.
Answered by Maggie Throup
Individuals who are severely immunosuppressed can currently access a booster or fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine if they have already completed their initial, three dose vaccination schedule at least three months ago. A general practitioner (GP) or hospital specialist will invite those eligible for this dose. Those who have received a letter from their GP or hospital specialist can also attend a walk-in vaccination site. Any patient who has not yet been invited but may be eligible for a fourth dose should contact their consultant or GP.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans the NHS has to introduce prescribers of third doses for the immunocompromised at all mass vaccination sites; and which sites already have an on-site prescriber.
Answered by Maggie Throup
There are no current plans to do so. No mass vaccination sites have an on-site prescriber for third primary doses, as these are handled at a local level by general practitioner practices.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the number of patients with heart and circulatory disease who have been unable to access care and are not represented on waiting lists since the outbreak of covid-19.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
We have made no formal assessment.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to answer Questions 61106 and 61107 tabled by the hon. Member for Sheffield South East.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer to Questions 61106 and 61107.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, who in the NHS is responsible for advising patients who have a compromised immune system that they are eligible for a third dose of a covid-19 vaccine; and what are arrangements for patients to receive a third dose of vaccine.
Answered by Maggie Throup
A specialist or clinician should advise whether a patient fulfils the eligibility criteria for severe immunosuppression and on the timing of any third primary dose of COVID-19 vaccination. NHS England and NHS Improvement are developing tailored communications for specialists caring for each group of eligible patients. This will include template referral letters for clinicians to signpost where patients can receive their COVID-19 vaccination.
If a vaccination cannot be offered at a hospital at the time of the patient’s visit, they will receive a letter from their consultant to access a vaccination at an alternative clinic. If a patient has already received a letter from their consultant or general practitioner advising on when they should receive their third primary dose, this can be presented at a walk-in vaccination site. Vaccinators require this letter to administer the dose. Any patient who has not yet been contacted but may be eligible for a third primary dose should contact their consultant.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, in what way the 100 community diagnostic centres will focus on (a) diagnosing heart and circulatory diseases and (b) the risk factors for heart and circulatory diseases, such as hypertension.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Community diagnostics centres (CDCs) aim to carry out the range of diagnostic tests required for a patient. It is recommended that as a minimum all CDCs will provide cardiorespiratory measurements such as echocardiography, electrocardiogram, ambulatory hypertension monitoring and portable heart monitoring devises, to diagnose heart and circulatory diseases.
Patients who present to their general practitioner with high blood pressure can be sent directly to a CDC for further testing. These tests can be undertaken efficiently, with IT links to cardiac and respiratory services in acute hospitals for some reporting.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that the improvements for heart and circulatory disease services set out in the NHS long term plan can still be met in the context of covid-19 and the backlog of care.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The restoration of services, including those for cardiovascular disease, is priority for the National Health Service, with local teams working throughout the pandemic to provide diagnostic and treatment services.
NHS England and NHS Improvement are working with regional and local teams to develop cardiac networks and integrated stroke delivery networks in England. These networks have been developed to take an evidenced-based, clinically led, whole pathway approach from prevention, diagnosis, treatment to end of life care. The NHS is establishing 44 community diagnostic centres which could deliver over one million additional scans and tests by the end of March 2022.